Texas mall shooting updates: Alleged massacre suspect identified

(ALLEN, Texas) — Nine people died and seven others were injured on Saturday after a gunman opened fire at an outdoor mall north of Dallas, Texas, officials said.

The alleged gunman, who died after a confrontation with police, was among the seven people who were killed at the Allen Premium Outlets, the scene of the shooting, Allen Police Department officials said. Nine additional people were transferred to hospitals, where two later died, officials said. The hospitalized victims’ ages range from 5 to 61 years old, authorities said.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded at about 3:30 p.m. on Saturday to the outlets in the Dallas suburb, where an active shooter incident had been reported.

“This is a tragedy. People will be looking for answers,” Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said during a press briefing. “We’re sorry that those families are experiencing that loss.”

Aerial footage from the scene showed shoppers being evacuated from the stores, many with their arms raised in the air.

None of the victims’ names have been released. Information about the suspect has not been released publicly.

ABC News’ Izzy Alvarez contributed to this report.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

May 07, 5:54 PM EDT
20-year-old security guard identified as victim in mall shooting

Christian LaCour, 20, is the first victim of the shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets to be identified.

LaCour died while working as a security guard at the outlet mall, his sister said.

“He was a really sweet kid,” Brianna Smith told ABC News over the phone. “I’m sad that he’s gone.”

Christian’s mother, Tracye LaCour, asked for privacy, telling ABC News that they are praying for the families of the other victims.

-ABC News’ Miles Cohen

May 07, 3:33 PM EDT
Alleged shooter ID’d in deadly Texas mall rampage

The suspect in the Allen, Texas, mall mass shooting was identified Sunday as Mauricio Garcia, according to law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation.

The 33-year-old Garcia was fatally shot by a police officer who rushed to the gunfire and confronted him at the outlet mall on Saturday afternoon, police said.

The Texas Department of Public Safety, which is leading the investigation, was searching Mauricio’s home and vehicle on Sunday. The agency declined to comment further on Garcia and said the motive for the shooting remains under investigation.

President Joe Biden said the assailant was dressed in tactical gear and armed with an AR-15-style assault weapon he used to gun down eight people and injure at least nine others.

May 07, 2:43 PM EDT
3 people wounded in attack remain in critical condition: Police

At least three people wounded in a mass shooting at an Allen, Texas, outlet mall remained in critical condition on Sunday, according to police.

Four victims were taken to Medical City McKinney, a trauma center in McKinney, Texas, about seven miles from Allen. Three of the patients were in critical condition and one was listed in fair condition, according to a statement Sunday from the Allen Police Department.

Eight victims were killed in the attack and a total of nine people were injured, police said. The shooter, whose name has not been released by police, was confronted and fatally shot by a police officer.

Among the injured, one patient was transferred from Medical City McKinney to Medical City Plano and was in fair condition. Another patient was transferred to Medical City Children’s Hospital in fair condition, police said.

“We are a strong and caring community and we want all of the victims and their families impacted by this tragedy to know that we will wrap our arms around you, and we are here for you,” Allen Mayor Kenneth M. Fulk said in a statement released Sunday. “The City of Allen pledges to offer our complete support. We know you are grieving, we are grieving. Rest assured, the nation and the world are also grieving.”

May 07, 2:40 PM EDT
Biden calls on Congress to pass assault weapons ban

President Joe Biden is renewing his call for Congress to pass an assault weapons ban following Saturday’s mass shooting at a Texas outlet mall.

“Yesterday, an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar,” Biden said in a statement released Sunday.

“And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts. More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence,” Biden said.

Biden argued that “some progress” has been made as a result of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and his various executive actions, but blasted GOP lawmakers, saying, they “cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough.”

“Once again, I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe.”

May 07, 12:03 PM EDT
Abbott says mall shooting underscores need to address mental health issues

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he plans to visit Allen, Texas, on Sunday afternoon as he argued in a TV interview that the mass shooting at an outlet mall there underscores the need to focus on addressing mental health issues.

“Texans are hurting today. And the people who are hurting the most obviously are the families of the victims, the families of lost loved ones, families who have a loved one who is injured and our main priority right now is to help and support those families in the Allen community,” Abbott said on Fox News Sunday.

He said he is going to Allen on Sunday “to begin the process of providing hope and healing.”

“But I can tell you there are questions that are lingering that the families want answers to. And that is why this happened? Why did that gunman do this? How did this happen? And I know that those families need answers as quickly as possible,” said Abbott, who praised the quick response of police in confronting the shooter and killing him.

Abbott was asked about new polling that shows strong support for background checks for gun purchases, increasing the legal age to buy a gun to 21 and requiring mental health checks for purchases. The governor said his state is also looking at legislation to address “easy solutions” to get guns out of the hands of criminals.

But overall, Abbott argued, the focus should be on the “long term solution” of addressing mental health.

May 07, 11:23 AM EDT
Domestic terrorism probed in Texas outlet mall massacre

As authorities work to determine a motive for the outlet mall shooting in Allen, Texas, one avenue investigators are exploring is whether this was an act of domestic terrorism, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.

The shooter wore patches or stickers on his clothing that raised suspicion he may have gravitated toward right-wing extremism, the sources said, though they added no motive has yet been established.

Federal agents were seen at a home in the Dallas area believed to be associated with the shooter, ABC Dallas affiliate station WFAA reported.

Federal investigators are already going through the suspect’s electronic devices and social media as they work to understand what led to the killing rampage, the sources said.

In addition to a rifle used in the shooting, sources said investigators recovered additional firearms in a vehicle associated with the shooter.

The Texas Rangers are the lead agency on the case with assistance from the FBI, ATF and Allen police.

May 07, 11:08 AM EDT
‘I got him down’: officer who apparently killed Texas shooter says in radio transmission

Police radio dispatches from the Allen, Texas, mall shooting Saturday captured the chaotic moments as the massacre unfolded, including an officer who apparently confronted the killer, calling for backup before reporting, “I got him down.”

“We got shots fired at the Allen Mall,” an officer is heard saying in the radio dispatches, according to the Broadcastify, which records emergency transmissions.

A police officer was at the Allen Premium Outlets when the shooting erupted around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, raced to the gunfire and fatally shot the suspect, Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said at a news conference on Saturday.

“We got people running,” the officer on the scene radioed to a police dispatcher. “I need everybody I got.”

A short time later, the officer radioed, “I got him down,” referring to the gunman, who police have yet to identify.

May 06, 11:46 PM EDT
Shopper says she ‘hunkered down’ amid shooting

A woman was shopping when she says the shooting began and described how people began to flee for safety.

Elaine Penicaro said in an interview that she was finishing up her shopping when she heard “popping” noises and began to realize how dire the situation was.

“We saw sparks flying like it was right in front of us. So we just ran into the Converse store. They locked the door. We all hunkered down in the back. And that’s where we stayed,” she said.

Penicaro said she heard the police arrive within five to 10 minutes.

May 06, 11:13 PM EDT
Vigil planned for Sunday

A vigil will be held Sunday afternoon in the aftermath of the deadly shooting.

State Rep. Jeff Leach said that a vigil was planned for 5 p.m. at Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church. He made the announcement during a briefing Saturday evening.

“This community is home for us and our hearts are devastated and broken tonight no law enforcement official no elected official Ever imagines or plans to or hopes to speak in front of a press conference like this,” Leach said.

May 06, 11:01 PM EDT
Mayor calls shooting a ‘tragic day’

Ken Fulk, the mayor of Allen, called the shooting a tragic day for the community and extended his sympathies. Fulk, who was elected in 2020, also pledged his support.

“Today is a tragic day for the city of Allen, our citizens, our friends and visitors who were at the Allen Premium Outlets today. We are a strong and caring community and we all want the victims and their families impacted by this tragedy to know that we will wrap our arms around you. And we are here for you,” he said.

May 06, 10:47 PM EDT
Shooter killed at the scene

The shooter was killed at the scene, police said.

Allen Police Department Chief Brian Harvey said at a press briefing that an officer was at Allen Premium Outlets on an unrelated call when he heard gunshots and located the shooter who was then “neutralized.”

“We are asking for the public’s help if you are a witness,” Harvey said.

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