A chaotic scene unfolded at a Texas mall, when a suspect being chased by police crashed into a JC Penney store, running several people over.
Killeen Mall, 80 miles north of Austin, was placed into lockdown after a black pickup truck ploughed into shoppers on Saturday evening.
DPS Sgt. Bryan Washko said that authorities attempted to stop a black pickup truck that was reported as a possible DWI driver. The driver refused to stop and it led to a 19-mile pursuit.
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The shopping center is currently on lockdown as security teams work to secure the area and first responders make their way to the scene (
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“The suspect drove through the doors and continued to travel through the JCPenney store, striking multiple people,” Washko told reporters.
Troopers and police chased after the vehicle and engaged in gunfire, shooting and killing the suspect. One of the officers who traded gunfire with the suspect was working as a security guard at the mall and others were off duty, he said.
“There’s people in here shopping for their families, their children, their friends, loved ones, and these kinds of things we don’t like to see, obviously, and we pray for their recovery,” Washko said of the victims.
Initially the chaotic situation was believed to be an active shooter, which police debunked. “It was terrifying. We heard shots, and everyone just started running,” recounted a witness from within the mall.
A source at the scene told KWTX there are dozens of law enforcement officers at the scene, including Killeen police, Temple police and Texas DPS troopers.
“I heard the shooting,” a Spencer’s store employee told local media outlet Killeen Daily Herald. “People were scared. We escorted about 20-25 people in the store to the back and locked the doors to ensure their safety.
Four people were rushed to the hospital with injuries ranging from minor to severe, while a fifth individual sought medical care on their own, police said.
Killeen is about 150 miles south of Dallas and is home to the Army’s Fort Cavazos, formerly Fort Hood.
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