Allen mall shooting - update: ‘Neo Nazi’ gunman stalked shopping centre to find ‘peak’ visiting time

The Texas mall gunman allegedly stalked the mall in the weeks before the shooting to identify peak visitation times, according to an extremism researcher who found a Russian social media profile belonging to the shooter.

The motive for the attack remains unknown but the gunman was wearing a patch reading “RWDS” – standing for Right Wing Death Squad – as he carried out the rampage.

Investigators in Texas are also looking into possible neo-Nazi and white supremacist beliefs of the gunman who killed eight in the mass shooting at a shopping mall in Allen.

Mauricio Garcia, 33, was identified as the shooter who drove to the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday afternoon and opened fire on innocent shoppers with an AR-15-style rifle.

Posts allegedly written by Garcia, reviewed by The Independent and extremism researchers, include photos showing SS and swastika tattoos, praise for Adolf Hitler, misogynistic screeds that echo incel ideas and forums, and complaints about the state of his mental health.

Eight people, including three members of a family, died in the attack before the gunman was shot dead by a law enforcement officer.

Key Points

• Texas mall gunman is identified as Mauricio Garcia

• What social media reveals about the Texas gunman

• Texas gunman researched mall to find ‘peak’ visiting time

• Officer on unrelated call in mall neutralised shooter, police say

• Collin County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson says that there are multiple victims, including children.

Why are flags being flown at half mast?

10:15 , Rachel Sharp

President Joe Biden has ordered flags to be flown at half mast to honour the victims of the mass shooting in Allen, Texas.

The president issued a proclamation ordering flags at half-staff at the White House and at all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the US and its Territories and possessions until sunset on 11 May 2023.

“I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations,” he said in the proclamation issued on Sunday.

Just a week ago, Texas was struck by a shooting that left five dead. How easy is to purchase guns in the state?

10:00 , Ariana Baio

Last week, a gunman in Cleveland opened fire on his neighbours after they complained of him firing rounds in his backyard. Five people, including a nine-year-old child, were killed.

The state saw yet another episode of gun violence on Saturday when gunman Mauricio Guzman killed eight people at Allen Premium Outlets before he was taken down by a police officer who happened to be at the scene.

The unspeakable carnage has sparked renewed calls for gun control from survivors of mass shootings and legislators.

Texas has some of the most lenient gun laws in the country.

Most adults are allowed to carry a handgun in a holster both openly and concealed, without a permit.

Private firearm dealers in the Lone Star State are not required to conduct background checks before selling, despite three-fourths of Texas supporting such measures, according to Texas Gun Sense.

Elementary school sisters are named among eight Texas mall shooting victims

09:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Two more children have been identified among the eight victims who were fatally shot in the Allen, Texas, mall shooting: sisters Daniela and Sofia Mendoza.

Daniela, a fourth grader, and Sofia, a second grader, were killed while at the Allen Premium Outlets with their mother, Ilda on Saturday, the Wylie Independent School District confirmed.

In a letter sent to parents and students obtained by NBC News, Superintendent David Vinson said: “Words cannot express the sadness we feel as we grieve the loss of our students. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mendoza family, the families of the victims, and all those affected by this senseless tragedy.”

“Daniela and Sofia will not be forgotten. Hug your kids, and tell them you love them,” Mr Vinson added.

Both Daniela and Sofia attended Cox Elementary in Sachse, Texas. Cox Elementary School principal, Krista Wilson, called the girls “rays of sunshine,” according to the network.

Hero Texas mall worker died after saving store customers

09:00 , Ariana Baio

A heroic mall worker died in the mass shooting on Saturday after risking their own life to hide customers in a store bathroom, according to a woman who survived the horror attack.

Racquel Lee told CBS that she had gone on an impromptu shopping trip to the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas, on Saturday afternoon.

She pulled up outside the H&M store and was shopping inside when the gunman pulled up outside the same store at around 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon and opened fire.

Ms Lee broke down in tears as she recalled the panic as she and her fellow shoppers heard gunshots ringing at the mall.

“It sounded like a war zone,” she said. “It was horrifying and it felt like you were in a dream. Like, just shock.”

As the shooting unfolded, she said an unidentified store associate saved her and 12 others by hiding them inside the storage room of the store bathroom.

The employee left the shoppers in there and left.

Ms Lee said that the group hunkered down in the closet trying to stay silent for fear that the gunman would find them.

They desperately tried to call 911 but had no signal in the closet, she said.

“We were in a bathroom closet, and we were just in the closet trying not be heard, crying, praying — people were trying to call 911. We couldn’t dial out,” she said.

Sometime later – after the gunman was shot dead – police found the terrified shoppers hiding in the closet and led them out of the store.

As she walked out of the store, Ms Lee said she walked past the lifeless body of the heroic store worker who had saved all of their lives.

Nazi images, hateful rants and ‘Right Wing Death Squad’: A look at Texas gunman’s alleged far-right social media posts

08:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A social media profile that appears to belong to a gunman who killed eight people in a busy Dallas-area shopping mall on 6 May includes dozens of Nazi-related images and hate-filled rants against women and racial minorities.

The profile on the Russian-based platform ok.ru also includes more than two dozen photos of the Texas mall and surrounding areas, including Google location information that shows when the mall is at its busiest. It was posted in the days leading up to the attack.

Posts reviewed by The Independent and extremism researchers include photos showing SS and swastika tattoos, praise for Adolf Hitler, misogynistic screeds that echo incel (or involuntary celibate) ideas and forums, and complaints about the state of his mental health.

The profile allegedly belongs to Mauricio Garcia, the 33-year-old who was fatally shot by police after he fired an AR-style rifle at the outlet mall, killing eight and injuring seven others.

Law enforcement officials have not publicly disclosed or suggested a motive behind the mass shooting. A federal law enforcement bulletin notes that the FBI’s “review and triage of the subject’s social media accounts revealed hundreds of postings and images to include writings with racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist rhetoric, including neo-Nazi materials and material espousing the supremacy of the white race.”

Texas gunman’s alleged violent social media posts reveal Nazi images and attack plans

WATCH: Texas mall shooting survivor speak about worker who saved shoppers

08:00 , Ariana Baio

Texas mall shooting: Dashcam captures moment gunman opens fire

07:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Harrowing dashcam footage captures the moment a gunman opened fire at a mall in Texas on Saturday, 6 May.

At least eight people died and seven were injured after a gunman opened fire at Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, just outside Dallas.

The shooter was killed by an Allen police officer who was in the area on an unrelated call.

Footage shows the gunman getting out of a silver car before beginning to shoot and walking towards the shops.

Watch here:

Texas mall shooting: Dashcam captures moment gunman opens fire

Everything we know about the Texas mall gunman who killed eight

07:00 , Ariana Baio

A gunman clad in black body armour and armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle opened fire at a Texas mall on Saturday, killing eight people and injuring seven others.

The suspect was identified by the Texas Department of Public Safety as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, a security guard and former US Army trainee.

Bevan Hurley and Rachel Sharp report:

Mauricio Garcia: What we know about the Texas mall gunman who killed eight

Just a week ago, Texas was struck by a shooting that left five dead. How easy is to purchase guns in the state?

06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Last week, a gunman in Cleveland opened fire on his neighbours after they complained of him firing rounds in his backyard. Five people, including a nine-year-old child, were killed.

The state saw yet another episode of gun violence on Saturday when gunman Mauricio Guzman killed eight people at Allen Premium Outlets before he was taken down by a police officer who happened to be at the scene.

The unspeakable carnage has sparked renewed calls for gun control from survivors of mass shootings and legislators.

Texas has some of the most lenient gun laws in the country.

Most adults are allowed to carry a handgun in a holster both openly and concealed, without a permit.

Private firearm dealers in the Lone Star State are not required to conduct background checks before selling, despite three-fourths of Texas supporting such measures, according to Texas Gun Sense.

Over $400,000 raised for family that lost three people

06:00 , Ariana Baio

A GoFundMe raising money for the funeral expenses and helping the Cho family has raised over $400,000.

Cindy Cho and Kyu Cho as well as their three-year-old son James Cho died in the mass shooting that occurred at Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday.

The only survivor is their six-year-old son William who was recently released from the ICU.

Friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe to pay for future expenses and already they’ve raised $444,129 as of Monday afternoon.

Indian-origin woman among those dead in the Texas mall shooting

05:54 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A 27-year-old woman from Hyderabad in India was among eight people killed by the gunman in the Texas mall shooting on Saturday. The police identified the Indian woman as Aishwarya Thatikonda.

She lived in the Dallas suburb of McKinney, according to a family representative.

Thatikonda was working as a project manager at a Dallas-based contracting firm.

WATCH: Texas mall shooting reignites gun control debate

05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Harrowing pictures show shoppers evacuating Allen Premium Outlets following violence

05:00 , Ariana Baio

Hero Texas outlet worker died in mall shooting after risking life to hide customers

04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A heroic store worker died in the mass shooting at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas, after she risked her own life to hide customers in a bathroom closet, according to a woman who survived the horrific attack.

Racquel Lee told CBS News that she had decided to go on an impromptu shopping trip to the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday afternoon.

She pulled up outside the H&M store and was shopping inside when the gunman pulled up outside the very same store at around 3.30pm local time and began opening fire indiscriminately on anyone in sight.

Ms Lee broke down in tears as she recalled the panic as she and her fellow shoppers heard the gunshots ringing out and realised what was happening.

“It sounded like a war zone,” she said. “It was horrifying and it felt like you were in a dream. Like, just shock.”

As the shooting unfolded, an unidentified store associate sprung into action, ushering her and 12 others into the store bathroom.

There, the female employee – who has not been identified – hid the shoppers inside the storage closet and then left the room again.

Ms Lee said that the group hunkered down in the closet trying to stay silent for fear that the gunman would find them.

They desperately tried to call 911 but had no signal in the closet, she said.

“We were in a bathroom closet, and we were just in the closet trying not be heard, crying, praying – people were trying to call 911. We couldn’t dial out,” she sobbed.

“I remember thinking that he’s coming in here next, oh god, and I was hoping we didn’t get hit by a bullet.”

She added: “And then the store associate saved our lives.”

Audio reveals moment officer made frantic request for backup moments before taking down Texas mall shooter

04:00 , Ariana Baio

Audio released on Sunday reportedly reveals the moment a heroic officer frantically requested backup before neutralising the Texas mall gunman.

Andrea Blanco reports:

Moment officer makes frantic request for backup before taking down Texas mall shooter

Texas gunman wore ‘Right Wing Death Squad’ patch as he killed eight at mall, says report

03:54 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The gunman who murdered eight people in a mass shooting at a Texas outlet mall wore a “Right Wing Death Squad” patch on his chest and may have held white supremacist beliefs, says a report.

Mauricio Garcia, 33, jumped out of a silver car and opened fire on a crowd of shoppers with an AR-15 rifle on Saturday afternoon at the Allen Premium Outlets in the city of Allen.

Now investigators are looking at the shooter’s possible far-right political beliefs as a motive for the shooting, people familiar with the investigation told The Washington Post.

No official motivation for the killings has been given by police, but sources told the newspaper that Garcia had an “RWDS” patch on his chest, which stands for “Right Wing Death Squad.” The phrase is popular with neo-Nazis, white supremacists and right-wing extremists, the newspaper reported.

Everything we know about the deadly mall shooting

03:00 , ariana.baio

Hundreds of shoppers fled from Allen Premium Outlets, a large outdoor shopping centre, after gunfire erupted at about 3.30pm local time on Saturday.

Here’s everything we know so far about the deadly Allen, Texas shooting.

Bevan Hurley reports:

Texas mall shooting: All we know about the deadly outlet massacre

There have been over 200 mass shootings this year

02:00 , Ariana Baio

Texas shooting recalls 2019 racist mall attack

01:40 , Josh Marcus

Police are investigating whether the mall shooting in Allen, Texas, was motivated by white supremacist ideals.

If that’s the case, the incident bears similarities with a 2019 incident.

Then, a Texas man was accused of killing 23 primarily Hispanic people at an El Paso Walmart popular with visitors from Mexico.

Alleged gunman Patrick Crusius, who was charged with 90 criminal counts under federal hate crime law, will go on trial in January of 2024.

Man accused of killing 23 people in El Paso will not face federal death penalty

Social media posts show gunman adopting white supremacist ideals

01:20 , Josh Marcus

Some on social media are dismissing the notion the Texas mall gunman could be a white supremacist because he is also of Hispanic heritage.

The reality is a more nuanced picture of how hate works in America.

Many of the posts allegedly written by Mauricio Garcia, the 33-year-old who was fatally shot by police after he fired an AR-style rifle at the outlet mall, discuss or reference his Hispanic heritage, underscoring the ways in which white supremacism, fascism and violent extremist ideologies often escape rigid racial or ethnic lines.

Virulent antisemite and white nationalist Nick Fuentes has a half-Mexican father, and Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys who was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the Capitol attack, is Afro-Cuban.

Nazi propaganda website The Daily Stormer also began publishing in Spanish in 2017 in an effort to seize on Latin American audiences. The ok.ru profile mentions the website and its founder Andrew Anglin.

“I think I even read in the news Hispanics could be the new white supremist [sic],” one of the ok.ru post reads. “Just the other day this black dude told me the line is blurring. He can’t tell the difference anymore. Someone would look white but their [sic] actually Hispanic.”

In photographs of his spiral-bound diary entries, he also said he wore an “It’s OK to be White” shirt and that he is Hispanic whether he “likes it or not.”

Witness describes horrifying scene

01:00 , Ariana Baio

A man who witnessed the horrifying shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday has opened up about the devastating scene he witnessed as he tried to rescue victims after a gunman opened fire.

Steven Spainhouer, a resident of Allen, Texas, was not at the mall when the shooting unfolded but rushed to the scene after his son, who was working at an H&M store in the outlet, called him.

“I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first first-responder on the site to take care of people,” Mr Spainhouer told CBS News.

Mr Spainhouer described finding victims who had lost body parts and were covered in blood as he attempted to find survivors.

What social media reveals about the Texas gunman

Tuesday 9 May 2023 00:45 , Josh Marcus

A social media profile that appears to belong to a gunman who killed eight people in a busy Dallas-area shopping mall on 6 May includes dozens of Nazi-related images and hate-filled rants against women and racial minorities.

The profile on the Russian-based platform ok.ru also includes more than two dozen photos of the Texas mall and surrounding areas, including Google location information that shows when the mall is at its busiest. It was posted in the days leading up to the attack.

Posts reviewed by The Independent and extremism researchers include photos showing SS and swastika tattoos, praise for Adolf Hitler, misogynistic screeds that echo incel (or involuntary celibate) ideas and forums, and complaints about the state of his mental health.

The profile allegedly belongs to Mauricio Garcia, the 33-year-old who was fatally shot by police after he fired an AR-style rifle at the outlet mall, killing eight and injuring seven others.

Alex Woodward has the full story.

Texas gunman’s alleged violent social media posts reveal Nazi images and attack plans

The violent meaning behind Mauricio Garcia’s ‘RWDS’ patch

Tuesday 9 May 2023 00:30 , Josh Marcus

Mauricio Garcia, the man who allegedly killed eight people at a Dallas-area mall on Saturday, reportedly wore a patch that read ‘RWDS.’ The item may be a key to the gunman’s motive in the shooting.

The acronym stands for “right wing death squad,” and has increasingly been donned by far-right figures like the Proud Boys, according to Southern Poverty Law Center.

As reporter Robert Downen notes, the far-right street gang has worn clothing featuring the acronym as well as direct references to authoritarian leaders Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Right-wing street vigilantes have a new target: LGBT people

Tuesday 9 May 2023 00:15 , Josh Marcus

Officials are probing whether the Allen, Texas, mall shooter had ties to white supremacist and far-right groups.

Mauricio Garcia, an Army veteran who worked as a security guard, reportedly posted neo-Nazi and white supremacist content online.

As The Independent reported earlier this month, even after the January 6 prosecutions, far-right groups like the Proud Boys are still active and emboldened across the US.

Here’s what you need to know.

What now for the Proud Boys? The far-right street gang has a new target

Texas mall gunman was terminated from US Army training due to mental health concerns

Tuesday 9 May 2023 00:00 , Ariana Baio

The Texas man who killed eight people while carrying out a mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday (6 May) was terminated from the US Army training in 2008 due to a physical or mental health concern according to the US Army.

Ariana Baio reports:

Texas mall gunman was terminated from US Army training due to mental health concerns

Texas gunman researched mall to find ‘peak’ visiting time

Monday 8 May 2023 23:50 , Josh Marcus

The gunman responsible for shooting eight people at a mall in Texas over the weekend reportedly scoped out the shopping centre in the weeks before the massacre to find the “peak” visiting time, according to an extremism researcher.

Aric Toler, of the investigative journalism outfit Bellingcat, located the gunman’s social media profile on the Russian website OK.RU.

The site, with little content moderation, functioned as an online diary for the alleged killer.

On the page, the gunman shared photos showing he was at the Allen Premium Outlets three weeks before the eventual shooting. One post featured the man Googling the shopping centre’s peak visitation times.

Allen Police Department coordinate reunification location

Monday 8 May 2023 23:30 , Ariana Baio

The Allen Police Department announced on Facebook that they designated a location for people to reunify with their items left behind on Saturday (6 May) after a horrific mass shooting took place at the Allen Premium Outlets.

Police announced on Monday (8 May) that individuals whose cars were left behind in the parking lot could pick them up.

However, personal property left in stores would be distributed to the owner of each store and dealt with through each one’s lost and found policy.

Victims of the shooting

Monday 8 May 2023 23:15 , Josh Marcus

Seven of the eight deceased people have been identified publicly.

Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old security guard at the mall, was identified by family members.

Aishwarya Thatikonda, a 27-year-old engineer who moved to the US from India, was identified by family members as well.

Cindy, Kyu and James Cho all died in the shooting.

Mr and Ms Cho’s six-year-old son William is the only member of the immediate family who survived the shooting.

Daniela and Sofia Mendoza, sisters in elementary school were also victims of the senseless violence.

Two days, three attacks, 18 dead: Texas reels from horrifying weekend of violence

Monday 8 May 2023 23:00 , Josh Marcus

The state of Texas — from the border with Mexico to the swanky suburbs north of Dallas — spent Monday reeling from unimaginable horror.

Traumatised shoppers were gathering in Allen to reclaim vehicles at the outlet mall where an active shooter on Saturday killed eight and injured seven. Officers in Brownsville were preparing to update the public after a driver plowed into a group of migrants waiting at a bus stop, again killing eight and injuring at least 10 on Sunday morning. And police in Dallas were holding a gunman who opened fire on a city light rail line on Sunday afternoon, killing one and injuring two.

Meanwhile on Monday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott was tweeting about the border.

“Up bright and early to provide a border security update ahead of the end of Title 42,” the Republican leader wrote, urging his followers to join him for a live update from the state capital of Austin.

Sheila Flynn reports on Texas’ weekend of carnage.

Two days, three attacks, 18 dead: Texas reels from horrifying weekend of violence

America’s red state gun violence epidemic

Monday 8 May 2023 22:50 , Josh Marcus

Gun violence isn’t just in big cities like Los Angeles or Chicago.

As The Independent reported last year, red states and rural areas struggle just as much with shootings. In some ways, the violence there is actually worse.

Get all the details in our full story.

GOP says gun violence mostly happens in Democratic cities – the figures disagree

Marjorie Taylor Greene blames Texas mall massacre on drugs and ‘evil forces’ (but no mention of guns)

Monday 8 May 2023 22:30 , Ariana Baio

Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene joined the list of Republicans refusing to point the finger at the staggering number of firearms, including high-powered rifles, existing in American society on Saturday as she cast blame for yet another horrific yet wholly unsurprising massacre that unfolded over the weekend.

At least eight people are dead as well as the suspected gunman in Allen, Texas, after a mass shooting broke out at an outlet mall. Witnesses described a scene of sheer carnage and terror on the streets of one of the US’s largest states, as America reckoned with another all-too-common day of violence and bloodshed.

The conspiracy-embracing Republican congresswoman from Georgia commented that “evil forces” were at work causing the shootings.

VOICES: Gruesome video footage won’t make gun control happen

Monday 8 May 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

Voices: News organizations often don’t release explicit footage of mass shootings out of respect for victims and because the images can be traumatizing. But the stark video from Allen, Texas, led many commenters to wonder whether that policy of discretion was a mistake.

Unfortunately, images of violence, no matter how ugly, are unlikely to move the gun debate.

Noah Berlatsky reports:

Gruesome video footage won’t make gun control happen

Community members pay tribute to the victims

Monday 8 May 2023 21:40 , ariana.baio

Elementary school sisters are named among eight Texas mall shooting victims

Monday 8 May 2023 21:20 , Ariana Baio

Two more children have been identified among the eight victims who were fatally shot in the Allen, Texas mall shooting - sisters Daniela and Sofia Mendoza.

Daniela, a fourth grader, and Sofia, a second grader, were killed while at the Allen Premium Outlets with their mother, Ilda on Saturday, the Wylie Independent School District confirmed.

Ariana Baio reports:

Elementary school sisters are named among eight Texas mall shooting victims

Shooting victim in children’s hospital in ‘good’ condition

Monday 8 May 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio

One person who was taken to Medical City Children’s Hospital has reportedly been upgraded from ‘fair condition’ to ‘good condition’ CNN reported.

The age of the patient and their name has not been released to the public.

Eight people were killed, ranging from three years old to 61 years old and seven more were injured.

Texas House advances bill that would raise age to purchase semi-automatic firearm

Monday 8 May 2023 20:40 , ariana.baio

The Texas House Community Safety, Select Committee advanced a bill that would raise the minimum age to purchase a certain semi-automatic rifle on Monday - just days after another mass shooting rocked the state.

In an 8-5 vote, the committee voted to send the bill to the House floor marking a rare milestone in gun control advocates’ fight to reduce mass shootings in Texas.

The bill, HB 2744, would make it an offense for anyone to knowingly sell, rent, lease, give or offer to sell, rent, lease or give a semiautomatic rifle capable of accepting a detachable magazine and has a caliber greater than .22 to a person younger than 21 years old.

It also prevents the sale of a firearm or ammunition to a person who is intoxicated, under an active protective order or convicted of a felony within five years of being released from parole.

Ted Cruz hit with backlash over latest Texas shooting

Monday 8 May 2023 20:30 , Ariana Baio

Republican Senator Ted Cruz received a torrent of criticism after he tweeted his condolences after a mass shooting in Allen, Texas, killed eight people and left seven injured.

On Saturday, Mr Cruz tweeted his condolences and said he would be monitoring events unfolding after 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia opened fire at Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday afternoon.

“Heidi and I are praying for the families of the victims of the horrific mall shooting in Allen, Texas,” he tweeted out. “We pray also for the broader Collin County community that’s in shock from this tragedy.”

Eric Garcia reports:

Ted Cruz hit with backlash over latest Texas shooting

Gunman was removed from US military training

Monday 8 May 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio

Mauricio Garcia, the 33-year-old Texas man who killed eight people and injured seven after opening fire at a mall in Allen, Texas was removed from US Army training in 2008 due according to Heather J Hagan, US Army Public Affairs Spokeswoman.

In a statement provided to The Independent, Ms Hagan said, “Mauricio Garcia entered the regular Army in June 2008; he was terminated three months later without completing initial entry training. He was not awarded a military occupational specialty. He had no deployments or awards.”

She added that the Army does “not provide characterization of discharge for any soldier.”

However, an Army Official indicated that Garcia’s termination from training was under, “Other designated physical or mental conditions.”

Dallas newspaper urges Gov Abbott to act on gun violence

Monday 8 May 2023 19:40 , ariana.baio

The mass shooting that occurred on Saturday is just the latest in a string of tragic episodes of gun violence in Texas.

After eight people were killed and seven injured in Allen, Texas, local newspaper The Dallas Morning News released an editorial on behalf of the news staff urging Governor Greg Abbott to do something about gun violence.

In the open letter, the newspaper’s editorial news criticised Governor Abbott for saying the shooting was “an unspeakable tragedy” rather than addressing gun violence.

“You responded that this was an “unspeakable tragedy.” We tell you that it was not unspeakable, and that the people of Texas need you to speak to it and its cause,” The Dallas Morning News wrote.

“There is nothing conservative about refusing to acknowledge evidence or give voice to the true nature of a problem,” they added.

Parents and three-year-old among shooting victims

Monday 8 May 2023 19:20 , Ariana Baio

Three members of an immediate family have been identified among the eight victims of the tragic mass shooting that took place in Allen, Texas on Saturday.

Cindy and Kyu Cho, as well as their three-year-old son, James, were killed after a gunman opened fire at the mall.

The family’s six-year-old son William is the only surviving member of the family.

A GoFundMe page has been started for the Cho family by their friends to help pay for their funerals and other expenses.

“An afternoon that should have been filled with light, love and celebration unfortunately was cut short by another mass shooting massacre that left 8 victims dead,” the GoFundMe page says.

Allen mall shooting is the second deadliest mass shooting in US this year

Monday 8 May 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

The Allen Premium Outlets mall shooting is the second deadliest mass shooting to occur in the US this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive database.

After nine people were killed, including the shooter, Saturday’s mass shooting in Allen, Texas has become the second-deadliest to happen in the US after the Monterey Park, California shooting in January.

Communities Foundation of Texas organises donation fund

Monday 8 May 2023 18:40 , Ariana Baio

The Communities Foundation of Texas began a donation collection for those affected by the shooting at Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas.

“In the coming days and weeks, families of victims and those impacted will require support for medical and funeral expenses, as well as grief and trauma counseling,” the Communities Foundation of Texas wrote.

The collection will benefit local nonprofits that provide mental health, grief and trauma support to victims an their families as well as first responders impacted.

The fund does not provide direct payments to individuals.