A mass injury event occurred at Killeen Mall in Texas after a vehicle crashed into the building during a police chase and multiple shots were fired. The incident happened on Saturday evening when a black pickup truck, driven by a suspect who was believed to be intoxicated, smashed into shoppers at the mall. The truck drove through the glass doors of a JC Penney store entrance, striking multiple people, and a gunfight ensued between the driver and troopers. The suspect was shot dead, and four people were transported to the hospital with injuries ranging from minor to severe. A fifth individual sought medical care on their own.
The incident is eerily similar to an attack in Germany on Friday, where more than 200 people were injured when a man drove a BMW into holiday shoppers in the city of Magdeburg. The suspect in the German attack, a 50-year-old Saudi doctor, was arrested at the scene and is believed to have acted alone. Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the attack, with German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stating that the suspect was “evidently Islamophobic.” The incident has left many in the community shaken, with local residents expressing their gratitude for the quick response of law enforcement and emergency services.