MASS SHOOTING IN THE US: At least nine people killed, attacker also dead

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - An armed attacker on Saturday shot and killed nine people and wounded at least seven in a busy shopping mall north of Dallas, police said, who killed the attacker.

The perpetrator, whom authorities believe acted alone, was killed by a police officer after he began shooting outside the Allen Premium Outlets mall in Allen, Texas, Police Chief Brian Harvey told a news conference.

Allen Fire Chief Jon Boyd told the same news conference that his service transported at least nine victims with gunshot wounds to local hospitals, two of whom died.

Medical City Healthcare, which runs 16 hospitals in the area, said its trauma centers were treating eight injured victims, aged five to 61. The hospital did not say what their conditions were.

Aerial TV footage showed hundreds of people leaving the mall, located about 40 km northeast of Dallas, calmly after the violence erupted, many with their hands up as dozens of police officers stood guard.

An unidentified eyewitness told local ABC affiliate WFAA TV that the attacker "was walking on the sidewalk and just shooting everywhere.".

Blood could be seen on the sidewalks outside the mall and white sheets that covered what appeared to be bodies.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, calling the shooting an "unspeakable tragedy," said the state was ready to offer all necessary assistance to local authorities.

Allen, Texas, is a community of about 100,000 people.

Mass shootings have become commonplace in the United States, with at least 198 so far in 2023, the highest number at this point since 2016, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

A mass shooting is defined as one in which four or more people are injured or killed, not including the shooter.