A silver sedan on the property appeared to have been shot and was in an area cordoned off by investigators, according to coverage from NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
Responding law enforcement officers helped shoppers evacuate and cleared each retailer to ensure no dangers remained, according to witness accounts.
Multiple mall shoppers and employees said they heard gunfire and took cover where they could before fleeing or barricading themselves in back rooms.
Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started.
“We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping,” Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press.
Employees immediately rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said.
Several witnesses reported seeing bodies, some of which they said were covered.
Tarakram Nunna and Ramakrishna Mullapudi said they saw what appeared to be three people lying motionless on the ground, The Associated Press reported.
Gov. Greg Abbott called the situation an “unspeakable tragedy.”
“Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy,” he said.
The full support of the state was being made available to Allen officials and first responders, Abbott said. Resources include officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers, and investigative assistance.
The White House reached out to city leaders Saturday, Allen Mayor Ken Fulk said at a Saturday night news conference.
Allen police said the attack was still under investigation and that people should continue to stay away from the shopping center.
In a separate statement overnight, Fulk said he believes a rapid response by police and firefighters increased survivors. “Their thorough training not to hesitate to move toward the threat likely saved more lives today,” he said.
The nonprofit organization LULAC, or League of United Latin American Citizens, said it’s calling on Abbott and other state officials to convene an emergency meeting Monday in Austin to address gun violence and regulations.
“We must stop this epidemic of killings by declaring that Texas is taking immediate steps to prevent more mass shootings that are becoming all too frequent,” LULAC national president Domingo Garcia said in the group’s statement.
The FBI has asked anyone with information or tips about the shooting to report them to the agency.
The shopping center operated by Simon Property Group occupies 69 acres and houses more than 120 retailers. The company thanked police who stopped the suspected shooter and first responders.
“We are horrified by today’s senseless tragedy and outraged by the violence that continues to plague our country,” it said in a statement Saturday night.
Andrew Blankstein, Cristian Santana, Clare Secrist, Joe Kottke, Emma Li and Associated Press contributed.
