Police respond to reports of a shooting in Allen, Texas

(NewsNation) — At least nine people are dead, including the suspected shooter, after the gunman opened fire at a busy mall outside Dallas, officials announced Saturday.

The Allen fire department said they found seven dead upon arrival at the scene, and transported nine victims to a medical facility, fire chief Jonathan Boyd announced at a press conference.

Of the nine who were taken to the hospital, two have died, three are in critical condition and four are stable.

An Allen Police officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the police department wrote on Facebook.

“The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel. Nine victims were transported to local hospitals by Allen Fire…