Several people were injured in a shooting spree at a shopping mall in Texas. The police in Allen, a suburb of the city of Dallas, initially only confirmed on Saturday evening (local time) that shots had been fired and that nine people had been taken to local hospitals by the fire department. There was no information about her condition.

The television stations CNN and ABC reported, citing information from the authorities, that there were also deaths. The number is still unclear. There was initially no official information on the fatalities, nor was there any information about the background to the crime.

Police said on Twitter that a police officer heard gunshots at the shopping complex on Saturday afternoon. The officers caught the suspected shooter and “eliminated” the threat. There is no longer any danger. There was initially no official confirmation that the alleged shooter was actually killed.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote in a statement describing the incident as an “unspeakable tragedy.”

The United States has long faced tremendous levels of gun violence. Rampages and deadly shootouts are part of everyday life. Larger attacks of this kind regularly lead to discussions about tightening gun laws – so far without any success. Firearms are readily available and widely circulated in the United States.