A gunman opened fire at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas, just north of Dallas Saturday, killing at least eight people and wounding seven.
A policeman on an unrelated call in the area heard the gunfire and responded by shooting and killing the gunman, authorities said, according to The Associated Press.
The shooting comes just eight days after another deadly mass shooting in Cleveland, Texas, left five people dead.
Who were the victims of the Texas mall shooting?
At least eight people were killed and seven injured, three of which were critically injured.
The identities of the victims have not been announced yet, but a witness told AP that the some of the bodies “looked like kids.”
CNN also reported that a Dallas-area medical group was treating “victims as young as 5 years old,” on Saturday.
Though the officials have not released the names of the victims yet, WFAA confirmed the identities of two of the victims: Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old security guard and Aishwarya Thatikonda, an engineer who was visiting the mall with her friend.
Who was the shooter in the Texas mall shooting?
Law enforcement sources told AP that the gunman was identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia.
An official said that police also found multiple weapons at the scene, including an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.
Investigators have not determined a motive yet, but social media posts from Garcia indicate that he frequently posted white supremacist and Neo-Nazi views, the Deseret News reported.
How did politicians react?
“Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stated in a press release Saturday.
Abbott faced criticism for his response to the shooting, however, when he suggested that addressing mental health would solve gun violence in an interview on Fox News Sunday.
“People want a quick solution. The long-term solution here is to address the mental health issue,” Abbott stated.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed back against Abbott, tweeting, “This is your reminder that @GregAbbott_TX cut $211 million in mental health funding.”
Democratic state Sen. Roland Gutierrez also responded to Abbott by stating in an MSNBC interview, “I’m disgusted with the fact that we have a Governor and a Lieutenant Governor that refuse to do anything.”
How did President Biden react?
In a statement released Sunday, President Joe Biden asked Congress to pass legislation to address gun violence.
“Republican Members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough,” Biden stated.
“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.”