Newly released footage shows heroic officer go from telling kids to wear their seatbelts to running towards gunfire and putting down mass mall shooter: 'I'm moving as fast as I can'



A 33-year-old gunman murdered eight people, including three children, and injured 10 others May 6 at the Allen Premium Outlets mall in Texas. The killer would likely have claimed more innocent lives had an Allen Police officer not run without hesitation toward the crackle of gunfire and "neutralized" the threat.

The Allen Police Department released the officer's body-worn camera footage Wednesday following a grand jury's determination that his use of force was justified under Texas law.

"This video shows how quickly a routine interaction with the public turned into a life-and-death situation," Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said in a statement. "The officer recognized the danger, ran toward the gunfire and neutralized the threat — and for his actions, the Allen community is forever grateful."

At the beginning of the video, the unnamed officer can be seen addressing two little children in the mall parking lot, instructing them to follow their mother's guidance.

"Make sure y'all be good, okay?" says the officer. "And make sure you wear your seatbelts when Mommy's driving, okay?"

A little girl can be heard answering in the affirmative, but her brother is interrupted when a several gunshots ring out in quick succession. The mother quickly grabs her children by their hands and pulls them close.

The officer doesn't miss a beat.

"I think we got shots fired at the outlet mall," he says over his radio. "People running."

He reaches into his police cruiser, grabs his rifle, then orders passersby to safety: "Go, go, go! Keep moving!"

Running full-tilt through the parking lot to the far side of the mall, the officer closes in on the sound of screaming and additional gunshots.

Although he sounds slightly winded, he maintains his advance, noting over the radio, "I'm on foot. I need everybody I got. ... A real mass shooter. ... I'm moving as fast as I can."

"I'm by Tommy Hilfiger. I don't know where he's at," says the officer, scanning the arcade for the shooter.

Another barrage alerts the officer to the shooter's whereabouts. The officer rushes forward, spots the shooter, and lights him up with around 14 well-placed shots.

"I got him down," the officer announces, passing an abandoned baby carriage.

As fellow officers approach, the officer reiterates, "Damn, bro. Got 'em, bro," instructing the mass shooter's bullet-riddled corpse to "stay the f*** down."

The shooter had three weapons on his person and another five in his vehicle, reported CNN.

Watch the video here:

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The Texas Rangers and the Collin County District Attorney's office presented this footage and other evidence to a grand jury concerning the officer's use of force on Monday. The officer was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Craig Miller, a retired Dallas ISD police chief, told KDFW-TV, "His actions were unbelievable, the way that he was able to respond. ... He's doing exactly what he's trained. He's asking for backup. Immediately he gets on dispatch, tells him what he's got, but at the same time, he's running to the issue, running to this incident."

The victims of the mass shooting were: James Cho, 3; Sofia Mendoza, 8; Daniel Mendoza, 11; Christian LaCour, 20; Aishwarya Thatikonda, 27; Elio Cumana-Rivas, 32; Cindy Cho, 35; and Kyu Song Cho, 37.

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Father rushed to Allen Outlets to save son from mass shooting, but nothing would prepare him for what he experienced: 'Just unfathomable to see carnage'



A frantic father rushed to the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday after his son informed him there was a shooting at the mall in Texas. However, nothing would prepare the concerned dad for what he would encounter next.

Steven Spainhouer – a former police officer and former Army officer – received a call from his son on Saturday. His son – who works at the H&M store at the Allen Premium Outlets – told Spainhouer that there was an active shooting situation. He said that he couldn't contact 911 because the phone lines were busy.

Spainhouer instructed his son to shelter in place and to not open the door.

Spainhouer then raced to the outlet mall, which took him approximately six minutes. He was surprised to see that no police or EMTs were at the site of the shooting.

Spainhouer told KHOU, "I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first first responder on the site to take care of people."

"I found seven people shot in front of the store," Spainhouer told MSNBC. He called 911 and told them, "We have a mass casualty incident."

"The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes, so I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side and she had no face," he explained.

Speaking about the third victim he attempted to help, "I started chest compressions on him, he spit up blood, and then he just looked at me and expired in front of me."

"The others were too far gone," he said.

Spainhouer found a child who survived the mass shooting by being protected by his deceased mother.

He said, "So when I rolled the mother over, he came out, and I asked him, 'Are you OK?'"

The boy said, "My mom is hurt, my mom is hurt."

"So rather than traumatize him anymore, I put him around the corner, sat him down," Spainhouer recalled. "He was covered from head to toe, like somebody poured blood on him."

"No one can see what they saw today and not be affected by it. It's not a situation that I would wish upon anybody. It's just unfathomable to see the carnage," he said.

"It's tough when you see a family that's out shopping, having fun, then get wiped off the face of the Earth because somebody with a gun has some other type of issue," Spainhouer declared.

Eight people were shot and killed at the Allen Premium Outlets, located about 25 miles north of Dallas. There are at least seven others injured during the mass shooting.

Authorities have yet to release the name of the shooter.

WFAA reported that the suspect is in his 30s and lived with his parents in Dallas.

The outlet noted that the FBI questioned the family at their Dallas home, adding that investigators "have also asked for a translator."

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