The City of Allen paid tribute to first responders on Tuesday, roughly one month after having observed the first anniversary of the mass shooting that took place at a local outlet mall.
City leaders decided to recognize those who put their lives on the line during the devastating event. Nearly a dozen law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMTs went to the front of the chamber to be recognized by city staff, who applauded the group for their heroic actions.
“They did their job, and they worked together as a team. The lives that could’ve been saved were saved,” Mayor Baine Brooks said, per NBC 5 DFW.
As previously covered in The Dallas Express, eight people were left dead after a shooter opened fire at Allen Premium Outlets, leaving a lasting mark on the community.
The victims were 37-year-old Kyu Song Cho, his wife, 35-year-old Cindy, and 3-year-old son James Cho; 32-year-old Ello Cumana-Rivas; 20-year-old Christian LaCour; sisters 11-year-old Daniela and 8-year-old Sofia Mendoza; and 27-year-old Aishwarya Thatikonda, as covered by The Dallas Express.
The shooter was quickly confronted and taken down in less than six minutes, thanks to local law enforcement.
“If you were that day, you’ll never forget it. For this community, it’s a pretty defining moment,” Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd told those gathered at the recent city council meeting, per NBC 5. “It’s also a story of how a community can unite in a moment and a challenge.”
The entire city held a moment of silence on May 6 at 3:36 p.m., and a remembrance service took place at Allen Premium Outlets. Outside, a sculpture designed by artist Matthew Placzek was revealed to evoke “peaceful remembrance” of the victims.
With the first of many painful anniversaries now passed, many at Tuesday’s meeting evoked the need to draw lessons from the tragedy to prevent future losses.
“We certainly hope that this never happens again in any community, but we’re certainly going to be ready for the fact that if it does happen again, how we can continue to learn from May 6 of last year and how we can continue to respond to it at a high level to keep our community safe,” Police Chief Steve Dye said, per NBC 5.