9m ago / 2:21 PM UTC
Allen killings mark 7th mass shooting in Texas since Uvalde massacre
Texas has been rocked by seven mass shootings since a gunman killed 21 people at an elementary school in the city of Uvalde in May 2022, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
In the 12 months since the Uvalde massacre, mass shootings have occurred in the Texas cities of Centerville, Houston, McGregor, Ft. Worth, Dallas, Cleveland and now Allen, where a gunman opened fire Saturday at an outlet shopping mall, according to the database.
In each shooting, at least four people were killed, the data shows. The death toll in Allen is the highest since the Uvalde killings, with eight people killed.
34m ago / 1:55 PM UTC
Gov. Abbott, Sens. Cornyn and Cruz react to the bloodshed
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement late Saturday calling the shooting an “unspeakable tragedy.” He said the hearts of Texans are with the people of Allen.
Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz expressed their condolences:
Cruz opposes gun control measures, including a ban on assault weapons. Cornyn was the lead sponsor on a bill last year that made modest changes to federal gun control regulations. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law in June; Cruz voted against the legislation.
34m ago / 1:55 PM UTC
Witness describes sound of gunfire, sight of bodies
Fontayne Payton was browsing at the H&M clothing store in the outlet mall when he heard the piercing sound of gunshots through his headphones.
“It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside,” Payton, 35, told The Associated Press.
Employees at the store took shoppers into fitting rooms and then a back room with a door that locked, Payton told the AP. When the group was given the all-clear to leave, he saw broken windows and blood by the entrance.
When he got outside, he saw bodies.
“I pray it wasn’t kids, but it looked like kids,” he told the AP, recalling that white towels were draped over the bodies. “It broke me when I walked out to see that.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
