Man shot dead by police after driving into Texas mall, striking multiple people

A man who struck multiple people after driving into a Texas mall on Saturday was shot and killed by police, authorities said.

The man plowed into the front of a JC Penney store at the Killeen Mall in Killen, shattering the glass doors and continuing to drive his black pickup about 100 yards while “striking multiple people” and “actively running people over,” Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Bryan Washko said during a news conference Saturday night.

Police then opened fire and fatally shot the suspect. Washko said there is no longer a threat to the community and that the Texas Rangers are investigating the police shooting.

Four people were transported to local hospitals with injuries ranging from severe to minor, Washko said. He added that another person hurt in the incident walked into a hospital with minor injuries.

No deaths have been reported besides the suspect. Washko said the injured range in age from six to 75 years old.

Washko stressed that there was no active shooter at the mall, as had initially been reported and spread on social media. Killeen police also dispelled the rumor on Facebook earlier Saturday.

Police were initially pursuing the man after getting a report at about 5 p.m. of a possibly intoxicated driver on the highway, Washko said. The driver exited Interstate 14 and entered the Killeen Mall parking lot before driving into the store.

Video from the scene showed police amassing at the shopping center.

Police asked members of the public to avoid the area so first responders could have access and investigators could probe the nature of the incident.

Killeen is a city about 67 miles north of Austin. Killeen Mall states on its website that it has more than 90 retailers.