ALLEN, Texas — Police radio chatter may explain why an officer was already at the Allen Premium Outlets Saturday, minutes before a gunman attacked shoppers outside.
Investigators credit the officer for saving "countless lives," but they've yet to explain why the officer initially responded to the mall.
Seeking clarity, WFAA reviewed emergency communications audio recorded shortly before the shooting began.
Less than an hour before the attack, a woman called 911 to report another female shopper who'd allegedly threatened her.
"She is afraid to leave her vehicle," a dispatcher said, directing Allen police to the outlet mall.
The 911 caller claimed a "female was following her and recording her and her children and was threatening her," the dispatcher relayed.
An officer responded via radio moments later.
"I’m clearing my first call," he said. "You can give that to me and I’ll advise.”
About 17 minutes after that interaction, police radio listeners can hear the same voice report "shots fired at the outlet mall."
Investigators have not confirmed whether the officer who shot and killed the gunman is the same officer who responded to the disturbance involving the two women. Authorities have only said the officer who killed the shooter was already at the mall, responding to an "unrelated" incident.
Allen police have still not named the responding officer, either. But investigators described the man as a hero during a press conference on Tuesday.
"If he hadn’t have been there, I think we would’ve had a much more severe situation," Department of Public Safety regional director Hank Sibley said.