Place of meditation in front of the Allen Premium Outlets mall where eight people were killed by a gunman the day before, Allen, Texas, May 7, 2023. STEWART F. HOUSE / AFP
After the new massacre in a shopping center in Texas, which killed nine people, including children, on Sunday 7th May American President Joe Biden again called on Congress to ban assault rifles. In a statement, he denounced a “senseless act of violence” and ordered flags to be lowered over the White House and federal and military public buildings in honor of the victims.
The US President also called again on Congress to ban assault rifles and take action to limit access to guns. “Too many families have empty chairs around their table. Republican congressmen cannot continue to shrug off this outburst,” he fired. However, his appeal is unlikely to succeed as Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, vehemently oppose such measures.
This new massacre across the United States sparked panic on Saturday at Allen Premium Outlets, a large mall in the town of Allen, about 40 kilometers north of Dallas, where many customers are shopping for the weekend. A police officer was at the scene on another case when the shots rang out around 3:30 p.m. (10:30 p.m. Paris) and “neutralized” the suspect, local police chief Brian Harvey said.
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CCTV footage released by CNN shows the gunman getting out of a limousine in the mall parking lot and opening fire, without knowing his motive. The man was dressed in paramilitary gear and was holding an assault rifle, the White House said. According to several American media, the suspect has been identified as Mauricio Garcia, a 33-year-old man.
“Unspeakable Tragedy”
“Allen is a safe and proud city, which makes this senseless act of violence even more shocking,” said Allen Mayor Ken Fulk. Six people died instantly and two others died in hospital. The White House said there were children among them. Three of the seven injured required emergency surgery, Allen’s fire chief Jonathan Boyd said.
It is the second-deadliest shooting in the United States in 2023, after the Monterey Park shooting in California that killed 11 people in January. State Governor Greg Abbott lamented an “unspeakable tragedy.” Texas is one of the most permissive US states when it comes to carrying guns.
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According to the authorities, “lives were saved” thanks to the quick intervention of the police and fire brigade. Steven Spainhouer, a witness at the scene, stated that he tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate several victims, including a woman. “I tried to take her pulse, I turned her head to the side and she had no face,” he told CBS, deeply moved.
The man says he also rescued a child who survived the protection of his slain mother’s body. “He was covered in blood from head to toe like someone had poured it on him.” “It’s a situation I wouldn’t wish on anyone. It’s just unimaginable to see such carnage,” he added. Jaynal Pervez, another witness interviewed by CBS, described seeing “people’s shoes and phones on the street.”
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This new drama is part of a close chain of killings, particularly in Texas, where five people, including a 9-year-old child, were killed by a man armed with an assault rifle last weekend. With more firearms than people, the United States has the highest firearm fatality rate of any developed country: 49,000 in 2021 compared to 45,000 in 2020.
The specialized website Gun Violence Archive has identified 199 incidents in the United States this year in which four or more people were injured or killed by gunfire.