The scene in Austin, Texas. (Image: AP)
A pickup truck driver fleeing careened through the doors of a JCPenney store at a busy mall in , injuring five people before he was fatally shot by officers, authorities said.
A 53-year-old man identified as John Darrel Schultz of Kempner drove a lorry and crashed into the department store in Killeen, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north Austin.
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon as the driver continued into the building, striking people as he went, according to Sgt. Bryan Washko of the Department of Public Safety.
Emergency medical services transported four victims from the mall to area hospitals and another traveled to a hospital separately.
They ranged in age from six to 75 years old and their conditions were not immediately known, he said.
The chase began around 5pm on Interstate 14 in Belton, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from Killeen, after authorities received calls about an erratic driver in a black pickup, Ofelia Miramontez of the Killeen Department said.
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The chase began at around 5pm local time, police said. (Image: AP)
Schultz then allegedly pulled off the road and drove into the parking lot of the mall.
“The suspect drove through the doors and continued to drive through the JCPenney store, striking multiple people.
“The trooper and the Killeen officer continued on foot after this vehicle, which was driving through the store, actively running people over. He traveled several hundred yards.”
Officers from the state public safety department, Killeen and three other law enforcement agencies “engaged in gunfire to eliminate this threat”, Washko said.
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The alleged attacker drove through the doors of JC Penny store, police said. (Image: AP)
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.
Witnesses interviewed by local news outlets outside the mall said they heard multiple gunshots and saw people fleeing through the mall.