KILLEEN, Texas — Around 5:30 p.m., 6News received an update Thursday on the man who was shot in the Killen Mall. According to Killeen Police Public Informations Officer, Ofelia Miramontez, the employee is in stable condition.
6News has received no word on his cooperation in the investigation.
Police are still searching for the shooter who opened fire around 7 p.m. Tuesday inside the Killeen Mall. Ten gunshots could be heard in a released surveillance video.
Ben Solis, the owner of Pro Image Sports, sent the video to 6 News. In the video, you can hear the gunshots, followed by customers running and screaming.
One employee, Deleon Collins returned to the front in an effort to protect himself and others.
"I ran, got the stick and then I walked calmly to the door and made sure nobody else needed a place to stay and that everybody was safe and hurried up and closed the gate and went back to the back," Collins said.
In the moment, Collins said all he could think about was that if he didn't do anything he, his coworkers, and the customers could all be in danger.
"I got little siblings you know it's just that instinct to protect and that's where my mind went to. I just hurried up, immediately closed the gate and made sure we were safe in there. It's just an instinct thing that kicked in that's all it was," Collins said.
Killeen police released photos of the suspect who reportedly shot one person multiple times then got away.
"We ran across the parking lot," Monica Silcott recalled the moment she left the mall.
Silcott and her daughter were shopping at Dillard's when they heard the gunshots.
"I just grabbed my kid and we ran out the closest exit we could find," Silcott said.
As a parent, Silcott said it's concerning that shootings have become so common.
"It's sad that it's almost kind of a normalcy, like my daughter I asked her you know how do you feel about what happened. You know... are you scared and she's like no I mean it happens all the time, and that's from a 14-year-old... that it was common and that's not how we should be in our homes in our environment," Silcott said.
She said even with things like this happening, people shouldn't live in fear.
"I mean it happened. If we can learn and grow from it and help each other I think we need to be more vigilant," Silcott said.
Collins said he'll be back to work soon and he's glad that he acted the way he did.
"I just put it behind me you know everybody was safe at the end of the day, the guy is in stable condition. So God is good and stuff like that. That's all I think about God is great," Collins said.