ALLEN — North Texans continue to mourn in the aftermath of the most recent deadly shooting.
Residents of the community gathered for a memorial at the Allen Premium Outlets to remember those killed in Saturday’s deadly shooting.
The gathering drew a large crowd outside the outlet mall despite the clouds and rain that darkened the metroplex. People came to pay their respects, a steady stream of fellow DFW residents laying down flowers and stuffed animals near crosses with the names of each victim.
The Dallas Express visited the memorial and spoke with the community as details of the tragedy continue to unfold. Visitors impacted by the shooting shared their sorrow, anger, and confusion with The Dallas Express, but they were also touched by how the community had come together in the days since the tragedy.
Photos of the memorial | Image by Andrew Norsworthy
LaShan LaGuan, a resident of Wylie, told The Dallas Express that coming to the memorial was the least she could do to support those in mourning.
“I had to come out and show support [in] some kind of way,” LaGuan said. “I don’t know any of the people out here. I didn’t know any of the victims, but to come and show solidarity with those who are hurting right now is the most important thing I can do besides pray.”
McKinney resident Cheryl Jackson, who organized the memorial, told The Dallas Express that the most heartwrenching story she had heard was about a young boy and his father as they tried to find shelter once the shooting began.
Jackson didn’t know whether the child or the father escaped harm.
“This is hitting more than just the adults. This is our future generation that we have to care enough about to make some type of change,” Jackson said. “You literally can’t describe what I’ve seen in the last 72 hours, but what I can tell you that I can describe is love.
“The love and unity that I’ve seen in this community is just remarkable.”
At 3:36 p.m. Saturday, a gunman in tactical gear opened fire on unsuspecting citizens at the Allen Premium Outlets. An officer from the Allen Police Department shot and killed the assailant, but not before the suspect killed eight people and injured at least seven others, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The officer was at the mall responding to an unrelated call when the shooting began.
The shooter was later identified as 33-year-old former security guard Mauricio Garcia, a Dallas resident with lesser previous criminal offenses, burglary and public intoxication.
Law enforcement continues to investigate this latest mass shooting, the second deadliest in the country this year.
Residents, concerned neighbors, and well-wishers put together a makeshift memorial to remember those killed in the shooting, among them:
Kyu Cho, 37, Cindy Cho, 35, and James Cho, 3;
Christian LaCour, 20;
Daniela Mendoza, 11, and Sofia Mendoza, 8;
Elio Cumana-Rivas, 32; and
Aishwarya Thatikonda, 26.
Photo of the memorial | Image by Andrew Norsworthy/The Dallas Express