Police responding to a shooting at a busy suburban Dallas mall say the gunman is dead, but not before inflicting multiple wounds on unsuspecting weekend shoppers.

There was no word on deaths or the number of people injured at the Allen Premium Outlets mall, about 40 kilometres northeast of Dallas, where the shooting took place.

Multiple people were wounded, including children and the shooter was dead at the scene, local ABC affiliate WFAA TV reported, citing the Collin County Sheriff.

Video footage from local media showed police officers hurrying shoppers out of the mall, with squad cars and emergency vehicles parked near entryways.

In other footage, as below, evacuated shoppers claimed they had been unable to get through to emergency operators. (strong language alert)

BREAKING: Active shooter at shopping mall in Allen, Texas; reports of multiple victims#allentexas #allen #texas #shooting #breaking #news #breakingnews pic.twitter.com/TJdCfJwThN

— Crime With Bobby (@crimewithbobby) May 6, 2023

Blood could be seen on footpaths outside the mall and white sheets covering what appeared to be bodies.

Allen Police Department and Collin County officials were not immediately available to comment.

“Law enforcement is on the scene at Allen Premium Outlets. An active investigation is underway. Please avoid the area until further update,” the Allen Police Department said on Twitter.

Allen, Texas, is a community of 100,000 people.

Mass shootings have become commonplace in the United States, with at least 198 so far in 2023, the most at this point in the year since at least 2016, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The nonprofit group defines a mass shooting as any in which four or more people are wounded or killed, not including the shooter.

-AAP