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Allen Police release body-cam footage from outlet mall shooting

GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: Video contains sounds of gunshots. Viewer discretion is advised.

The Allen Police Department released portions of body camera footage from the outlet mall shooting after a grand jury decision.

The Collin County District Attorney's Office and Allen police had presented evidence to a grand jury for an independent review of police use of force in the May shooting. The grand jury returned a verdict of "no bill" on Tuesday, which means the use of force was justified under Texas law.

The officer wearing the body camera was already at the Allen Premium Outlets when the shooting started. Police edited the video to blur out the faces of the victims and civilians. The video shows the officer running towards the distant sound of gunshots. As he approached the gunman, the officer opened fire. Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey praised the officer for his quick response.

“The officer recognized the danger, ran toward the gunfire and neutralized the threat – and for his actions, the Allen community is forever grateful," Harvey said.

Eight people were killed and seven others injured during the mass shooting. The gunman also died.

In addition to the grand jury process, Allen PD has requested an outside review of the incident from the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Public Safety is leading an investigation of the mass shooting.

The gunman, Mauricio Garcia, had signed a 2015 application for a security guard license with the “SS” symbol used by a notorious Nazi paramilitary organization known as the Schutzstaffel.

Got a tip? Email Caroline Love at clove@kera.org.

Caroline Love is a Report For Americacorps member for KERA News.

KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gifttoday. Thank you.

Caroline Love covers Collin County for KERA and is a member of the Report for America corps. Previously, Caroline covered daily news at Houston Public Media. She has a master's degree from Northwestern University with an emphasis on investigative social justice journalism. During grad school, she reported three feature stories for KERA. She also has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas Christian University and interned with KERA's Think in 2019.