Nine people have been massacred after an evil gunman stepped out of a car and started shooting people at random in an afternoon horror at a shopping mall.
One mother was killed shielding her son from the bullets with her body and a hero witness has described appalling scenes of traumatising carnage as he came across bodies strewn in the street.
The shooter was gunned down by brave cops but not after a brief but intense rein of terror that has shattered the peace of the weekend for a community in Texas and shone the spotlight once again on America's gun laws.
At 3.36pm on Saturday, an Allen Police Department officer was on an unrelated call when the terrifying sound of gunshots could be heard at Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas.
The officer then engaged with the suspect and "neutralised the threat", before calling emergency personnel. A live aerial broadcast showed armoured trucks and other law enforcement vehicles stationed at the mall.
A further update, released by Allen Police Department, said seven individuals, including the suspect, died at the scene.
Nine more were taken to local hospitals, however, two succumbed to their injuries. Three of the wounded victims were in a critical condition, while four were stable.
A gunman was seen stepping out of a silver sedan before shooting.
A 16-year-old pretzel stand employee, Maxwell Gum, described a virtual stampede of shoppers. He and others sheltered in a storage room.
"We started running. Kids were getting trampled," Gum said. "My co-worker picked up a four-year-old girl and gave her to her parents."
The shooter was seen lying on the ground clad in body armour with more magazines strapped to him. An AR-15-style assault rifle was found nearby.
Medical City Healthcare, a Dallas-area hospital system, said in a written statement it was treating eight people between the ages of five and 61.
Allen is a suburb roughly 25 miles north of downtown Dallas, with around 105,000 residents.
One hero dad spoke of the moment he performed CPR on a stricken child - while others filmed bodies on the ground, he stepped in to try and save lives.
F Steven Spainhouer said he did his "best" to save a little boy he believed to be around four years old after the incident at Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas.
His own son was in an H&M in the mall at the time where he works and phoned his dad after hearing gunshots - but was "ok".
On Twitter, Mr Spainhouer said: "I did my best. Rescued a blood-soaked four-year-old from under [their] mother. I am heartbroken, but glad my son, who was in H&M is ok."
Speaking to CBS News, Mr Spainhouer said: "When the multiple shots happened, my heart just dropped. I was on the phone with 911 and I was telling them we have a mass casualty incident.
"I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first first responder on the site to take care of people. The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes, so I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side and she had no face."
Mr Spainhouer said a child survived when his mum covered him with her body, dying to save her son's life.
He told CBS: "When I rolled the mother over, he came out. I asked him if he was OK and he said, 'My mom is hurt, my mom is hurt.' So rather than traumatize him, I pulled him around the corner sat him down and he was covered from head to toe. like somebody poured blood on him."
He added: "No one can see what we saw today and not be affected by it,. It's not a situation I would wish upon anybody, it's just unfathomable to see carnage. It's tough when you see a family that's out shopping, having fun, get wiped off the face of the Earth because somebody with a gun has some other type of issue."
The incident called for ambulances from nearby cities to the scene, while the Dallas office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded.
A video circulating on social media showed distressed people running through a parking lot in front of a shopping centre, with loud bangs in the background.
Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones.
"It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside," Payton said.
People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes lay nearby.
Once outside, Payton saw bodies.
"I pray it wasn't kids, but it looked like kids," he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground.
"It broke me when I walked out to see that," he said.
Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered up.
Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and one who appeared to be a mall security guard.
Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic store during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store.
"I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him," Mouli said.
The City of Allen Mayor Ken Fulk released a statement paying tribute to the victims and said that the "nation and the world are also grieving" in the latest episode of gun violence in the US.
It read: "Today is a tragic day for the City of Allen, our citizens, our friends and visitors who were at the Allen Premium Outlets.
"We are a strong and caring community and we want all of the victims and their families impacted by this tragedy to know that we will wrap our arms around you, and we are here for you.
"The City of Allen pledges to offer our complete support. We know you are grieving, we are grieving. Rest assured, the nation and the world are also grieving."
Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, described the shooting as an "unspeakable tragedy".
He said: "Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy.
"I have been in contact with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw as well as other state and local leaders and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure all needed assistance and resources are swiftly deployed, including DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative resources."
The White House said President Biden had been briefed on the shooting and the administration had offered support to local officials.
