Two elementary school students are identified as victims of the Texas outlet mall massacre
Two sisters were shot dead in the Texas mall massacre, as their critically ill mother fights for her life.
Fourth grader Daniela Mendoza and second grader Sofia Mendoza were both shot dead following the rampage in Allan, Texas.
Both attended Cox Primary School, with Wylie ISD Superintendent David Vinson confirming that their mother, Ilda, had also been shot and is still in critical condition.
Vinson said in an email, “We love your babies, we love them so much. Our love for our children and each other will see us through this.
“Daniela and Sofia will not be forgotten. Hug your children and tell them you love them.’
The Korean consulate in Dallas confirmed that Kyu Cho, 37, and Cindy Kang, 35, along with their three-year-old son James, were killed in the massacre.
Aishwarya Thatikonda (pictured), who is originally from Hyderabad, India, was identified today by a family representative as one of nine killed in the massacre – including the gunman –
Christian LaCour, 20, (pictured) who worked as a security guard at the mall was the first victim of the mass shooting identified yesterday
Shoppers leave as law enforcement responds to the mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets in the Dallas area on Saturday
The shooter, Mauricio Garcia, was dressed in SWAT gear with a semi-automatic weapon at his side. He is seen dead outside another Allen store ten yards from the H&M store
Currently, their eldest son, 6, is being treated in a hospital and is in a serious condition after the disaster in Allan, Texas.
Engineer Aishwarya Thatikonda, 27, and Christian LaCour, 20, who worked as security guards at the mall, were also killed in the massacre.
Originally from Hyderabad, India, Thatikonda was shopping for her upcoming birthday when she was one of nine shot dead – including the gunman.
She moved to Dallas two years ago to work as a project engineer at Perfect General Contractors, was shopping at the Allen Premium Outlets with her boyfriend Saturday morning when gunman Mauricio Garcia opened fire.
“She was very kind and very loving,” a family representative said WFAAadding that Thatikonda’s friend was injured in the shooting and is currently stable in hospital.
LaCour was the first victim of the mass shooting identified yesterday, with his grandmother Sandra Montgomery describing him as a “beautiful soul.”
“My beautiful grandson, Christian LaCour, was the security guard who died in the shooting in Allen, Texas. He was such a beautiful soul,” she wrote.
In another tribute shared Sunday, a person close to LaCour’s family said he was a “very sweet gentleman.”
Christian LaCour, 20, who worked as a security guard at the mall, was the first victim of the mass shooting to be identified
“My beautiful grandson, Christian LaCour, was the guard who died in the Allen Texas shooting. He was such a beautiful soul,” wrote Sandra Montgomer, LaCour’s grandmother
Allen Police officers man the mobile command post the day after the gunman shot several people
Kellie Smith said she considered herself lucky to have “watched this sweet young boy turn into a very sweet gentleman,” the woman wrote on Facebook.
‘Theirs will forever be a void. Please support his family in prayer as they navigate this unimaginable time of their lives. Christian, you will always be close to us, for we will hold you in our hearts until we see you in heaven,” Smith wrote.
LaCour was the first of eight victims to be publicly identified, and the identification comes a full day after the shooting took place.
Children were among the eight killed in the rampage, which saw more than 100 bullets fired. Seven were pronounced at the scene and two in hospital.
In addition, firefighters transported nine victims to hospitals, but officials say more may have been taken away by other agencies.
As of the early hours of Monday, three victims were in critical condition and four in stable condition, police confirmed FOS 4.
The shooter has since been identified as 33-year-old Garcia. He was shot by a police officer after the shooting on Saturday afternoon.
Officials are investigating whether Garcia had an interest in white supremacist or neo-Nazi ideologies.
A bouquet of flowers is left in front of the entrance to the Allen Premium Outlet Mall in memory of those killed in the mass shooting that occurred the day before in Allen, Texas
MacKenzie Bates hugs her mother Rochelle where flowers were left at the scene of the shooting
A law enforcement official said federal agents had been reviewing social media accounts and believed Garcia had expressed an interest in neo-Nazi views and had a patch on his chest that read RWDS — an acronym for Right Wing Death Squad, which is popular among extremists and white supremacist groups.
Investigators searched a home associated with the suspect and a Dallas motel near a highway where Garcia was staying. The motel room contained multiple weapons, including an AR-15 style rifle and pistol.
A man who witnessed the shooting at the mall firsthand on Saturday recalled being one of the first people on the scene – rushing to rescue his son from a clothing store where the now-deceased gunman’s attack began.
Shortly before, at around 3:30 p.m., Steven Spainhouer received a frantic phone call from his son informing him that shots had been fired outside H&M.
Images showed the moment the first shots sounded, when the unknown gunman drives into the store.
Spainhouer drove there intent on saving his child’s life and explained how he got there before first responders—and faced the monumental task of trying to save lives.
“I never thought in 100 years I would be pushed into the position of being the first responder on the site to take care of people,” he told CBS News.
Spainhouer said he jumped in and tried to help victims who were in need.
The man said he had tried CPR and first aid, but was shocked by the severity of the situation and several casualties.
Multiple casualties have been reported after an active gunman opened fire on an outdoor mall – with one of the gunmen now reportedly dead and another still at large
“The first girl I walked up to was crouching and covering her head in the bushes, so I felt a heartbeat, pulled her head to the side and she had no face,” he said of the first victim he encountered, a young girl .
Dashcam footage showed the gunman getting out of a car on Saturday afternoon and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots were heard as the vehicle recording the video drove away.
Garcia used an AR-15 style weapon during the mass shooting and was dressed in full tactical SWAT gear.
Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd van Allen confirmed that seven people died at the scene, including the gunman, and then two more victims died in hospital.
Three of the injured were in critical condition by evening and four were stable, Boyd said in an update Saturday night.
A medical group in the Dallas area said it was treating victims as young as 5 years old.
Investigators have confirmed they believe gunman Garcia worked alone, but they have not yet released a motive for the killings.
Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunfire through his headphones. He said, ‘It was so loud, it sounded like it was outside.
“I pray they weren’t kids, but they looked like kids,” he said. The bodies were covered with white towels and lying over bags on the floor. “It broke me when I walked out to see that.”