This was the police response to the shooting at the Allen Mall in Texas

A video released Wednesday shows how quickly an ordinary day can turn into the worst nightmare. In the footage, an Allen, Texas, police officer can be seen having a daily exchange with a family in the parking lot of a shopping center outside Dallas. The officer, whose name has not been revealed, is talking to two children about the importance of wearing a seat belt. Moments later several shots are heard. It was a mass shooting. The mother takes the children and the police only need a split second to decide what to do. He picks up his assault rifle from the patrol, communicates on the radio and goes in search of the shooter of the Allen massacre, which left eight dead and several wounded on May 6.

At times, that Saturday became a war zone. "We have an active shooter!" the officer shouts at the top of his voice. Run forward and ask people to flee. "Move, get out of here!" he says. "I'm seeing people hurt," he says over the radio. "I'm moving as fast as I can," he tells his teammates, who listen to him in the control center. After advancing four minutes through the mall, the officer finally encounters the shooter in the same hallway. Shoot from a distance, protected behind a column. "Drop the gun," he yells. On the other side there was only silence. The gunshots of the killer cease to be heard.

The Allen Police Department released the body camera video of the officer, who is considered an unsung hero who saved several lives thanks to his quick response. He is not yet ready to make himself known, according to his superiors. He still doesn't fully digest what happened that morning. "The officer recognized the danger, ran toward the gunfire and neutralized the threat. For his actions, the Allen community will be forever grateful," said Police Chief Brian Harvey. "If I hadn't been there, I think we would have had a much more severe situation," Hank Sibley of the Texas Department of Public Safety said last May.

On Monday, officials from the Texas Rangers, state police, and Allen's force presented to a grand jury their testimony about the response to the attack perpetrated by Mauricio Garcia, a 33-year-old man who sympathized with neo-Nazi ideology. The attacker had three weapons with him, including an AR-15 rifle, and five others in his vehicle. He was dressed in tactical clothing. On Tuesday, jurors decided that the officer's use of force was justified, clearing him of potential wrongdoing claims after his performance.

The mall, Allen Premium Outlets, reopened earlier this month after being closed since the day of the incident. Some shops, however, remain closed. The owners of the establishment have made public their intentions to create in the coming months a memorial with the names of the victims. The community of 100,000, located about 40 miles north of Dallas, remains hurt. They have an unnamed hero whom they can thank for the tragedy not being greater.

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