Civilians who gave first aid to Texas outlet mall shooting victims describe chaos

ALLEN — Joshua Barnwell just underwent “Stop The Bleed” training about a month ago — a how-to on saving lives in emergency situations.

A combat veteran and city operations administrator for New Fairview in Wise County, Barnwell has prepared feverishly for tragedy. His shopping companion wonders if it was fate they ended up feet from gunfire at an Allen mall Saturday afternoon.

“There was a reason we came over here today,” said Génie Ruple, who was visiting from New Mexico. “I think Josh did what he was supposed to do.”

The pair was among hundreds at Allen Premium Outlets when a gunman opened fire, killing eight people and wounding seven others before being fatally shot by police. It was the second-deadliest mass shooting in the United States this year.

[‘We started running’: Dallas suburb mourns after 8 die in outlet mall shooting]

Barnwell heard the sporadic shots and then kids running. He dismissed it as a prank, he told The Dallas Morning News hours later while standing outside the outlet mall waiting for a ride — blood still on his hands, up his arms and splattered on his dark pants.

After a long burst of fire, he instinctively threw Ruple behind a concrete bollard and got himself to safety. Ruple said she was shaky while Barnwell called for help.

They waited until the pop, pop, pop stopped and then rushed into a store. As more police arrived, the pair walked toward H&M, Barnwell said.

“There was just an enclave there with a large amount of bodies,” he said. News helicopter footage showed tarps and blood outside the popular clothing store. Barnwell provided medical support on the spot.

Barnwell described people with wounds deep enough he could see bone. He said children clung to their parents, their hair mopped with blood. People slumped over, dead. Blood, tissue and brain matter.

He applied tourniquets to bleeding limbs. Barnwell tallied three dead. None of the victims have been identified as of Sunday morning.

Joseph Adams, 45, a teacher, said he was with his 12-year-old son at the Nike store when they heard a “series of loud cracks and bangs” ring out.

After leaving the store through an emergency exit, Adams drove his truck past the H&M, where he saw bullet holes had pierced through a window, leaving shattered glass and at least four people laying on the concrete outside.

Adams said he grabbed clothing from his truck to help pack wounds, including that of a child who had been struck in the neck. Employees from neighboring stores also grabbed clothes to help, he told The News in a phone interview Saturday.

“People were yelling for help, for ambulances, as cops drove by looking for the shooter,” he said. “It was just chaos. I did everything I could think of to help.”

Barnwell was stoic standing in a grassy verge a ways from the outlet mall, which was cordoned off by police cars.

“It would be nonsensical for me to be bawling or doing anything like that,” he said. “It’s not gonna do any good. And so it’s better for me to just maintain where I’m at right now.”

Ruple said she let people use her phone to call family and gave Barnwell rags to compress gushing wounds. She comforted those around her.

“When you start to truly process it, and you’re away from all the noise and the activity that’s kept you distracted, sometimes it can hit you [in] the aftermath,” Barnwell said.