The Allen Premium Outlets, where a shooter killed eight and wounded seven others two weeks ago, is expected to remain closed for at least another week.
The suspect, Mauricio Garcia, allegedly entered the mall and opened fire on people in the area on the afternoon of May 6. This suspect was shot and killed by law enforcement but had already killed eight people, including three children, and wounded seven, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Community members and other Texans have gathered to pay their respects at memorials dedicated to the fallen, with one placed directly outside the mall.
Residents can expect the mall to remain closed as long as mourning events are conducted,
Simon Properties, the management company for the Allen Premium Outlets, told WFAA that the shopping center would remain closed until all funeral and memorial services for the victims were concluded. Management officials at the mall had informed businesses that they could begin receiving shipments again on May 22 as they prepare to reopen eventually.
H&M, one of the businesses at the mall, provided WFAA with an update on its operations since the tragedy, noting that employees have received proper payment despite the closure of the store.
“While we believe our store teams did an extraordinary job applying the knowledge from internal trainings during this difficult situation, we are currently reassessing them to determine ways to improve our internal active shooter/lockdown preparedness trainings,” said the company, according to WFAA.
The City of Allen continues to support anyone directly impacted by the shooting.
“If you are one of the thousands of individuals who were directly impacted by this traumatic event, please know there are resources to support you,” said city officials in a tweet.
“This applies not only to those who are physically injured but also anyone who was present and may be experiencing emotional distress,” they continued.