VIRGINIA — In memory of the lives lost and those injured in Allen, Texas, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has requested all flags be flown at half-staff over the state Capitol and all local, state and federal buildings and grounds in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
"I hereby order that the flags shall be lowered immediately on Monday, May 8, 2023, and remain at half-staff until sunset on Thursday, May 11, 2023," stated the release Youngkin's office sent out Monday.
A gunman killed eight people and wounded seven others – three critically – in a shooting at a Dallas-area mall before being fatally shot by a police officer who happened to be nearby on Sunday.
Authorities on Saturday did not immediately provide details about the victims, but witnesses reported seeing children among them.
Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground.
The shooting was the latest episode of gun violence to strike the country.
It sent hundreds of shoppers fleeing in panic.
Dashcam video that circulated online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off.
Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people including the shooter died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them died.
The White House said President Biden had been briefed on the shooting and the administration had offered support to local officials. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings, called it an “unspeakable tragedy.”
