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A truck driver caused chaos at a mall in Killeen, Texas, on Saturday evening when they drove through the facility, injuring at least five individuals. The incident escalated when law enforcement officers fatally shot the suspect involved.
The sequence of events began around 5 p.m. local time as law enforcement received reports of a potential intoxicated driver on the road. According to Texas Department of Public Safety Sergeant Bryan Washko, a trooper located the vehicle and trailed it from the highway into the parking lot of the Killeen Mall, situated approximately an hour north of Austin.
In a shocking turn of events, the truck breached the mall’s front entrance, crashing through the glass doors of a JCPenney store and continuing further inside, where it struck multiple pedestrians. Washko detailed the harrowing experience faced by responding officers. “The trooper and a Killeen police officer pursued the vehicle on foot as it navigated through the store, running over individuals,” he explained. The truck traveled several hundred yards before law enforcement intervened.
During the confrontation, the suspect was shot and killed by officers, with Washko revealing that personnel from five different law enforcement agencies, including the Texas DPS and the Killeen Police Department, were involved in neutralizing the threat.
The identity of the suspect has not yet been disclosed. Injuries were reported among five individuals, spanning ages from 6 to 75 years. The current condition of the victims was not immediately available; however, four of them were transported to local hospitals by ambulance, while one managed to seek care independently.
As of Saturday night, authorities indicated that the truck remained within the mall premises. Although the area was secured, Washko advised the public to avoid the location. Initial fears regarding the possibility of an active shooter were clarified as false alarms.
The Texas Department of Public Safety will spearhead the investigation into the incident, with the Texas Rangers Division also participating in the inquiry.
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