Three members of the Cho family, parents Kyu and Cindy and their 3-year-old son James, were identified as victims of the Allen mall shooting on Monday.
As The Dallas Express reported, community members gathered to mourn outside the mall on May 8 to remember the victims, eight of whom were killed and seven injured.
WFAA spoke with James’ daycare teacher in McKinney, who attended the memorial outside of the mall. Teacher Trinity Whitley brought a green balloon to the memorial in honor of James, as it was his favorite color.
Whitley said, “He was sweet and smart, and he was so cute…And he was [a] brilliant child. I’ve never actually met a 3-year-old that was that smart. He was three and he was writing his own name.”
Whitley also knew James’ mother, Cindy, who was her dentist.
She told WFAA that Cindy was “so sweet, and she would always say thank you [to the daycare staff that] always takes care of her son.”
She also said everyone would think of James and remember him at the daycare center.
While James, Cindy, and Kyu were fatalities of the tragedy last Saturday, their 6-year-old son William survived.
William was treated in the ICU but was recently released. A GoFundMe page is available for donors to support the family.
The public has outpoured a large amount of support through donations for the family. The donation goal for the Cho GoFundMe was $50,000. This goal has been exceeded by over 1 million dollars.
As of May 10, the total amount raised is $1.7 million. The largest donation made is by Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals quarterback, who donated $15,000.
William’s family members posted on the GoFundMe:
“We are deeply grateful and sincerely appreciate this outpouring love and prayers from all around the country. William is recovering well. Both Kyu and Cindy’s family will use these funds to help William continue the legacy of his parents.”
There are other fundraisers set up to support the shooting victims. Irvin Walker II, who was shot twice but is now in stable condition, has a GoFundMe set up to help pay his medical bills.
There is also a fundraising page set up to support the Mendoza family. Two girls, 11-year-old Daniela and 8-year-old Sofia, were both killed by the Allen shooter, but their mother is still alive and in the hospital.