Gerrard Kaonga
Warning: this article contains footage of an active shooting which some viewers may find distressing.
Intense bodycam police footage shows how rapidly an officer was able to take down a mass shooter in Texas.
In a somewhat surreal video, a police officer went from discussing seatbelt safety with children to engaging with a mass shooter.
Back on May 6, 2023, a man began shooting an AR-15-style rifle indiscriminately in the parking lot of Allen Premium Outlets.
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He ended up killing 8 people including two elementary school children.
Following the incident, the Allen Police department released bodycam footage of an officer who was in the area when the shooting took place.
This footage has begun recirculating on social media with many praising the officer for his bravery and quick thinking.
Before the shooting took place, the footage shows the officer speaking to a mother and her two children about the importance of listening to their mom and wearing their seatbelt.
When gunshots are heard, the mother is seen ushering her children away to safety, while the officer runs towards the sound.
He calls into a radio that he has heard shots and informs them he believes a mass shooting is taking place. He later confirmed there was a shooting saying he had passed injured individuals as he raced to the culprit.
When confronted with the shooter the officer is seen firing his weapon and closing the distance between the two of them.
He later speaks to his radio saying he believes he got the shooter, while also shouting instructions for the shooter to drop their weapon.
Another officer who gets to the scene confirms that the shooter is already dead.
At the time, Allen Police Chief Brian Harve issued a statement praising the officer for his efforts.
He said: “This video shows how quickly a routine interaction with the public turned into a life-and-death situation.
“The officer recognized the danger, ran toward the gunfire and neutralized the threat – and for his actions, the Allen community is forever grateful.”
Online, many have remarked just how drastically the situation can change from rather innocent to life-threatening.
One person wrote: “This cop is a true professional. It may have taken a couple of minutes to locate the shooter but he didn't hesitate to take action, he didn't freeze up, seemed calm and very focused under such a high pressure and extremely stressful situation.”
Another wrote: “The way he switched from 'Make sure you always wear your seatbelt kids.' To killing an active shooter is incredible, Props to this cop.”
A third wrote: “This officer pivoted from telling children to wear their seatbelt to running toward the sound of gunfire and singlehandledly engage a mass shooter. Without backup. And eliminated a threat.Massive respect.”
The shooter was later identified as Mauricio Garcia who had a plethora of online posts 'describing his white supremacist and misogynistic views', according to AP.