A Plano business owner recently shared her heartwarming memories about the Cho family following their tragic and untimely death at the hands of an active shooter at the Allen Premium Outlets on May 6.
As the owner of Eddie’s Diner in Plano, Lydia Miftari regularly saw the Cho family dining at her family-owned restaurant. Cindy and Kyu Cho, as well as their two boys, were “weekend regulars,” Miftari said, as CBS News reported.
“They just really stood out because they were all about their boys,” says Miftari. “I never saw them on their phones. They were in the moment … they adored their children. They adored each other. They were the sweetest family,” she said.
Miftari says the Cho family had stopped by her restaurant that Saturday morning to fuel up before their planned trip to the outlet mall that afternoon.
During their visit to the mall, Kyu, Cindy, and their 3-year-old son James were all shot and killed by the mass shooter.
Their 6-year-old son William was injured but has since been released from the hospital. He is “home and continuing to do well,” an extended family member told Fox 4 News ahead of the Chos’ funeral in Carrollton on Thursday.
“The weight of it and the sorrow of it … it’s completely different from anything I’ve ever experienced,” Miftari recalled to CBS News. “When you know someone and you have had interaction with them — you know their family, and you know they’re just trying to get through life like the rest of us — it’s interesting how much different it hits you.”
Miftari says she will always remember the Cho’s pleasant nature and how their two kids were always well-mannered and polite. This was especially the case for William, who she said would always respond with ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when presented with his favorite: chocolate chip pancakes.
“Every time you put them down in front of William, his smile would get this big,” Miftari told CBS News.
As the community continues to mourn the tragic death of the Cho family and the other victims of the mass shooting, The Korean Society of Dallas has arranged a memorial in the Korean Cultural Center for victims through Saturday.
“We are deeply grateful and sincerely appreciate this outpouring [of] love and prayers from all around the country,” a statement from the family fundraising page says. “Both Kyu and Cindy’s family will use these funds to help William continue the legacy of his parents.”
“We are going to close this fundraiser to new donations, but if anyone wishes to continue their support, we strongly urge you to consider donating to the GoFundMe pages of the other families affected by this tragedy,” the page reads.
The Cho’s fundraiser received $1.87 million before new donations were disabled. Other verified GoFundMe fundraisers for victims of the Allen shooting can be found here.
“Unfortunately, we see these mass shootings, and we think, ‘that’s so far away. How sad for that family.’ We think about them, and we cry for them, and we pray for them. And the next big event happens, and we forget about them,” Miftari told CBS News.
“Oh, I feel … and I don’t want to ever stop feeling,” she added.
