A day after eight people died at a Texas shopping mall in the country's latest mass shooting, US President Joe Biden called for an assault weapons ban nationally and other gun safety measures.
Responders, worried witnesses, and police officers reported scenes of terror and panic in Allen. Video footage published online showed the gunman entering a sedan in the mall's parking lot Saturday and firing a semi-automatic rifle at people strolling nearby.
According to authorities, an officer responding to an unrelated call nearby soon reacted and "neutralized" the shooter.
Authorities said seven individuals, including the shooter, were pronounced dead at the spot, and two others died in the hospital.
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According to the Allen Police Department, three persons were severely ill as of Sunday morning.
In a statement issued Sunday evening, the Texas Department of Public Safety named the accused shooter Mauricio Garcia, 33, of Dallas.
While the statement provided no additional information about Garcia's history or motivation, many US media outlets reported that police were looking into his social media posts, which purportedly showed an interest in radical right-wing ideologies such as neo-Nazism and white supremacy.
President Biden said in a statement yesterday that eight Americans, including children, were gunned down in the latest incident of gun violence to afflict our nation.
He ordered that US flags be flown halfway to show respect for the shooting victims and reiterated his plea for lawmakers to act against a gun epidemic.
Biden went on to explain that he has asked Congress to submit him legislation prohibiting the use of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
He also requested that politicians mandate universal background checks for gun transactions and that manufacturers whose guns are used in attacks lose their legal immunity.
"I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe," Biden said.
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