People hug as they visit the memorial next to the Allen Premium Outlets.Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty

People hug as they visit the memorial next to the Allen Premium Outlets on May 7, 2023 in Allen, Texas. The memorial is for the victims of the May 6th mass shooting in the Allen Premium Outlets mall. According to reports, a shooter opened fire at the outlet mall, killing eight people. The gunman was then killed by an Allen Police officer that was responding to an unrelated call.

The shooter whoopened fire Saturday afternoon at an outdoor mall in Allen, Texas, has been identified as a 33-year-old man with possible extremist beliefs, according to multiple reports.

The gunman killed eight people while wounding at least seven at the Allen Premium Outlets in the latest mass shooting to rattle the nation.

NBC Newsreportedthat the gunman was wearing a patch on his chest at the time of the shooting with the acronym “RWDS,” which is used to mean “Right Wing Death Squad” in some far-right extremist circles online.

Fox Newsreportedthat investigators were also interviewing family members about the shooter’s possible extremist beliefs and looking into whether those beliefs possibly led to Saturday’s massacre.

Stewart F. House/Getty

Emergency vehicles line the entrance to the Allen Premium Outlets where a shooting took place on May 6, 2023 in Allen, Texas. According to reports, a shooter opened fire at the outlet mall, injuring at least nine people who were taken to local hospitals. The police have confirmed there were fatalities but have not specified how many. The unidentified shooter was neutralized by an Allen Police officer responding to an unrelated call.

CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/Shutterstock

Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey told reporters Saturday that a police officer who was on an unrelated call at the mall heard gunshots at about 3:36 p.m. before locating the gunman and killing him.

The victims being treated at the hospital after the shooting ranged in age from 5 to 61 years old,accordingto CNN.

Allen is a suburb in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The gunman lived in the Dallas area, CNNreported.

The killings marked the 202nd mass shooting in the United States this year, according to theGun Violence Archive, an organization that tracks gun violence around the country. The GVA defines mass shootings as any gun-related incident in which four or more people are shot or killed.

Ina statement, President Joe Biden said the gunman was wearing tactical gear and used an AR-15 style weapon. “Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar,” Biden said. “And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts.”

Biden noted that “the leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbottcalledthe shooting an “unspeakable tragedy.”

A vigil of nine crosses is placed at the entrance to the Allen Premium Outlet Mall in remembrance of those that died from the mass shooting that happened the day before in Allen, Texas.ADAM DAVIS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

A vigil of nine crosses is placed at the entrance to the Allen Premium Outlet Mall in remembrance of those that died from the mass shooting that happened the day before in Allen, Texas, USA, 07 May 2023. According to the police, nine people including the gunman were killed on 06 May 2023 after a man opened fire at passers-by. At least nine killed in a shooting at a mall in Texas, Allen, USA - 07 May 2023

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“We know you are grieving,” Fulk added. “We are grieving. Rest assured, the nation and the world are also grieving. Allen is a proud and safe city, which makes today’s senseless act of violence even more shocking.”

source: people.com