Allen Premium Outlets shooting survivors recovering. What we know about wounded victims.
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Shooting in Allen, Texas
Here’s everything we know about the May 6, 2023 mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets mall.
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One of the survivors of the mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets is awake and singing after a successful surgery to remove bullet fragments, his family said in an update to a verified GoFundMe.
Eight people were killed and seven were shot and wounded, according to authorities. The victims’ ages ranged from 3 to 61.
Irvin Walker’s family said in the GoFundMe that he was in his car trying to find a parking spot when the gunman opened fire. Walker came out of recovery singing.
“He along with his family & friends thank you all for your continued prayers and support,” the family wrote.
Walker was one of the people who was shot and survived the attack at the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday afternoon, when a gunman identified by police as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia stepped out of a car in the parking lot holding an AR-15 variant rifle and opened fire.
Walker was shot twice in the chest, with one of the shots hitting him close to the heart, and once in the shoulder, according to his family.
“He was just basically placed into survival mode,” Walker’s attorney Daryl Washington told WFAA. “Trying to figure out what he can do not to get shot again. Ran into the store and realized that was probably not a good idea, because he was going to bleed out. He really needed to get some help.”
A security guard tried to help Walker, according to Walker’s attorney. It’s believed that the security guard was 20-year-old Christian LaCour. Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said that LaCour “evacuated one individual to safety and was shot while courageously remaining to help others.”
On Monday before Walker went into surgery, his family said he was in stable condition but would need to have bullet fragments removed from his body by a surgeon.
Walker, 46, is originally from Louisiana and currently lives in Lewisville.
His path to full recovery is expected to be long, his family said. They’re asking for the community’s help in paying for the medical expenses related to his initial hospitalization and the care he’ll need to fully recover through the GoFundMe. The fundraiser’s goal is $100,000.
The family notes in the fundraiser’s description that initial hospitalization expenses alone can cost up to $32,000, citing numbers from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence from 2019.
As of Thursday, four surviving victims were at the Medical City McKinney hospital, three in fair condition and one in good condition. One victim was in good condition at Medical City Plano. Another patient has been treated at an undisclosed location with no update on that person’s condition.
Among the victims still hospitalized is the mother of two elementary school children who were killed in the shooting. Authorities said Monday that Ilda Mendoza was in critical condition but her condition appears to have improved, according to the latest update. Her daughters, 11-year-old Daniela and 8-year-old Sofia, died.
A 6-year-old whose parents and brother were killed was released from a hospital on Thursday. William Cho lost his mother and father, Cindy Cho and Kyu Song Cho, and his 3-year-old brother, James.
In a statement released by the hospital, William’s family said, “Our hearts are broken for our beloved family members who are no longer with us. We are deeply grateful and sincerely appreciate the outpouring of support and prayers.”
William is recovering well, the family said.
“All of our attention is now focused on ensuring William leads a happy, healthy life with his extended family who love him dearly,” their statement said.
Another surviving victim who has been identified is Sreyas Dadi, according to the Dallas Morning News. Dadi was shopping Saturday with his friend Aishwarya Thatikonda, who was killed in the shooting..
Dadi, 26, of Frisco, was shot in his leg, stomach and arm.
Dadi works as a software engineer and moved to Texas from India in 2019, his uncle told the Dallas Morning News. He is recovering from surgery and communicating with family, mostly through hand gestures, Kamal Nandikonda, said.
This story was originally published May 8, 2023 at 8:46 PM.
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