The suspect is dead.!

 Five people were injured when a driver fleeing from police crashed into a JCPenney store at a Texas mall, authorities said. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

A man drove into a Texas mall after leading police on a 19-mile chase, striking four people before being fatally shot by officers, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Saturday.
The suspect was shot and killed by law enforcement after the pursuit brought him into the Killeen Mall during the busy holiday shopping period, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Bryan Washko confirmed in a Saturday press briefing.
The chase began around 5 p.m. CT when a Texas Highway Patrol trooper attempted to stop a pickup truck in the Belton area, following reports that the driver may have been intoxicated, Washko said.

The suspect exited the highway and drove into the Killeen Mall parking lot, where he crashed through the glass doors of a JCPenney store, according to Sgt. Bryan Washko.
“After driving through the doors, the suspect continued through the store, striking multiple people,” Washko said.
Four individuals were injured when the pickup truck drove through the mall and were transported to a hospital, while a fifth person went to the hospital on their own. The victims, ranging in age from 6 to 75, were treated for their injuries.
The truck continued for several hundred yards inside the store, with troopers and local police chasing the suspect on foot. Officers then engaged in gunfire to neutralize the threat, Washko added.
“These are families, people shopping for their children, their loved ones, and these are things we never want to see happen,” Washko said. “We pray for their recovery.”
Two off-duty officers, who were at the mall with their families, were among the law enforcement personnel who opened fire to stop the suspect, Washko confirmed.

Witnesses described scenes of chaos as the situation unfolded.

Nathan Carrasco told CNN that he was sitting in his car with friends in the Killeen Mall parking lot when they saw a truck drive through the JCPenney doors and run over people.

He said two police vehicles were in pursuit of the truck, and just as officers were about to corner it, the truck crashed into the department store.

Carrasco and his friends quickly got out of their car to check on the well-being of those inside, he added.

“There were people lying on the floor, with glass everywhere,” Carrasco said, adding that people rushed into the store to help a woman and a young girl who was bleeding.

Rose and Will Parker told CNN they were near the coffee shop by JCPenney when they heard gunshots and saw people running in panic.

“I grabbed my wife, and we went into the coffee shop. We locked ourselves in a back room,” Will Parker recalled.

The couple stayed in the coffee shop for about 15 minutes before a security guard escorted them out of the mall.

“It was a mess,” Parker said. “I’m thankful to the security guard who helped us.”

Authorities have not yet released the suspect’s identity, Sgt. Bryan Washko said. “We need to find out who he was, where he came from, and why he was running,” he explained. “All those questions need to be answered.”

Killeen is located about 70 miles north of Austin and is home to Fort Cavazos (formerly known as Fort Hood).

This story has been updated with new information.

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