A rifle-wielding gunman opened fire at a sprawling El Paso, Texas, shopping center packed with back-to-school shoppers Saturday, killing 20 people and injuring at least 26 more, officials said.
Patrick Crusius, 21, of suburban Dallas, was arrested at a Walmart adjacent to the Cielo Vista Mall after the 10 a.m. attack in the west Texas city, the Associated Press reported.
"It is a tragedy beyond tragedy," said El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, who became distraught while speaking live television on CNN. "We are just torn up beyond belief."
At least 22 wounded victims were taken to nearby hospitals, where one victim died.
Of the 11 people taken to Del Sol Medical Center, two are considered stable, nine are critical but stable and they age range is from 35 to 82-years-old, according to hospital spokesman Victor Guerrero.
Two children, ages 2 and 9, were stabilized at University Medical Center before being transferred to the neighboring El Paso Children's Hospital, a UMC spokesman told the Associated Press.
Police and the mayor were tight-lipped about a possible motive.
President Donald Trump called the shooting "terrible" before tweeting support for Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Colby Covington.
"God be with you all!" Trump wrote.
Early reports said there were multiple shooters, but El Paso Police Sgt. Robert Gomez said cops believe only one gunman was involved.
Shoppers at the Walmart ran through the aisles in panic after the shots started ringing. The gunman reportedly left bloodshed and terror in his wake as he moved from the Walmart parking lot to the inside of the store.
One video showed several bodies lying in the store parking lot, including several near a table by the Walmart entrance where people appear to have been raising money for charity.
A surveillance photo showed a man identified as Crusius wearing cargo pants, a black T-shirt and shooting earmuffs as he strode into the store.
Another video depicted a shopper cowering as a series of gunshots slowly rang out, suggesting a methodical killing spree.
Sgt. Enrique Carrillo of the El Paso Police Department warned people who cannot reach loved ones to go to a family reunification center at a local middle school and to avoid the shopping center.
El Paso is the hometown of Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke. He interrupted a campaign event in Las Vegas to tell supporters that his wife and daughter were driving near their home at the time of the shooting and were not injured.
"El Paso is the strongest place in the world," said O'Rourke, who cut short the trip to fly home.
Army veteran Glendon Oakly was shopping in a Foot Locker store when teenagers raced in to tell customers that there was a mass shooter. He heard two shots ring out _ and immediately started herding young people to safety.
"I was just focused on the kids," Oakly told CNN. "I was just trying to get them out of there."
Walmart said in a statement that the company was praying for the victims, including workers at its store.
This is second mass shooting in a week.
Just last Sunday, a teenage gunman opened fire with an assault-style rifle on the crowd at a food festival in northern California, killing three people before turning the gun on himself.
