Driver Shot Dead After Crashing Truck Into Killeen Mall, Injuring Five
A chaotic scene unfolded at Killeen Mall in Texas on Saturday evening when a driver, allegedly intoxicated, crashed a truck into the busy shopping center, injuring five people before being fatally shot by law enforcement. The incident, which occurred around 5 p.m., sparked panic among shoppers just days before Christmas.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) reported that the chain of events began in Belton, roughly 20 miles from Killeen, when a trooper attempted to stop a black pickup truck following a 911 call about a possible intoxicated driver. The driver refused to stop, initiating a police pursuit.
The chase ended at the Killeen Mall, located nearly 70 miles north of Austin, where the truck rammed through the entrance and continued into the JCPenney store, striking multiple people. “The suspect drove through the doors and continued to drive through the JCPenney store, striking multiple people,” DPS Sgt. Bryan Washko said during a press conference. “The vehicle traveled several hundred yards through the store, actively running people over.”
Five individuals, aged between 6 and 75, were injured, with four transported to local hospitals and one seeking treatment independently. The conditions of the victims were not immediately known.
Law enforcement officers, including DPS troopers, Killeen Police, and off-duty officers from neighboring agencies, pursued the truck on foot inside the mall. Officers from multiple agencies engaged the suspect in gunfire to neutralize the threat, according to DPS. The Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting.
Amid the chaos, misinformation about an active shooter circulated online, prompting the Killeen Police Department to clarify on Facebook that there was no active shooter and the mall was secure, though the public was advised to avoid the area.
Daniel Bartlett, an employee at JCPenney, recounted the harrowing experience. He was in the store’s backroom when he heard gunfire and immediately moved to help evacuate panicked shoppers. “It’s only four days till Christmas, and there’s a lot of shoppers,” Bartlett said. “People were running out the salon entrance, and I held the door open to help because people were panicking.”
Bartlett, unaware at the time that a vehicle had caused the destruction, later saw the extensive damage while searching for coworkers. “I get out there, and that’s when I see the destruction. It is clean through. You never expect anything like this to happen, and the best you can do is stay calm,” he said.
The identity of the suspect has not been released, and the investigation remains ongoing.