A very difficult start to the week as
we talk about another mass shoo,
this one right here in North Te,
two days after a gunman opened
fire at the Allen Outlet mall,
that mall remains closed.
Investigators still on
the scene at this hour,
letting the public back in to get their cars.
We're finally getting some answs
to some of the questions we hav.
Who are the victims?
Who is the gunman and where the
investigation goes from here?
Our Chris Adagi is live for us t
the outlet mall this midday.
Chris, good morning.
Yes, Megan, we are actually across from
one of the entrances of the outlet mall.
The mall is still shut down.
No timetable on when it might reopen,
but much of the activity this morning
includes the buses dropping people off,
people who were here shopping on
Saturday when the shooting happ,
dropping them off to be reunited
with their vehicles, which they
haven't had for the last couple days.
Also, Governor Greg Abbott briey
commented on this shooting.
From afar, the process of reunig
people with their vehicles
actually started last night,
but resumed again this
morning At 10:00 o'clock.
They were meeting at Eddy
City's Senior Recreation Center,
loading up on a bus that
brought them over here.
They then got a officer escort
into the mall to their vehicle
where they could drive off.
This is video from our chopper of not
only where people were board of not only
where people were boarding the buses,
but also a family assistance
center that opened there this
morning to help support people.
Who were impacted by the shooti?
As for how the state might
respond to this tragedy,
Governor Greg Abbott attended of
the vigils here in Allen last n.
This morning he was back in
Austin to discuss border securiy
ahead of Title 42 expiring,
but he was asked about the
shooting here in Allen.
The people in Allen,
but especially the families,
they want to know right now why
this happened, how it happened.
I believe in the coming
days the public will be.
Much better informed about
why and how this happened.
And that will inform us as Texas
leaders about next steps to take
to try to prevent crimes like ts
from taking place in the future.
And we're also learning
more about the shooter.
Texas DPS identified him as
33 year old Mauricio Garcia.
The video you see here is officers looking
through the car that he drove to the mall.
A search warrant reveals they found several
handguns, long guns and ammunition inside.
Sources tell WFAA he served in e
Army until 2008 when his service
ended due to mental health issu.
Those sources also say he has a history of
extremist ideology that includes expressing a
dislike of Jewish people and people of color.
Now we also know investigators e
searching a hotel where Garcia was living.
The hope is that they can find any materials,
any evidence that shows more int
into his possible motivations,
and also possibly any planning.
Of this attack.
Megan, back to you. All
right, Chris, thank you for tha.
The gunman killed 8 people
and injured seven others.
And today we're learning more at
the victims as the community takes the
first steps towards healing wite
start of school and another work week.
Let's bring in our Suzanne Brunr
with the latest on that,
those victims and how the commuy
is coming together. Suzanne.
Yeah. Megan, a memorial is for e
victims is growing out here at e
Allen Premium Outlet Mall today.
Right behind me there are 8 crosses now
standing for those who were killed Saturday.
We have seen groups of people come in
with additional crosses as well as dogs.
Service dogs provide comfort to those
who were affected by the shooti.
Right now we know the names of o
individuals killed at the outlet mall.
Their families identified them as 20 year old
Christian Lacour and Aishwarya Fatikanda.
Lacour was a security guard at the mall and
was working when the shooting happened.
His family said he lived in Farmersville,
just east of Allen.
The corps mother shared on Facek
that she and the family are bron
and will never be whole again.
Aishwarya,
Thoughti Condo was out at the mall Saturday
with a friend shopping for her 28th birthday.
Her friend is stable at Medical City,
McKinney,
a family representative we spoke
with said thoughti Condo was an
engineer who lived in McKinney.
And her friends describe her as
a friendly and lovable person.
And as people leave flowers her,
just a few miles away,
we were at Green Elementary Sch,
where staff,
students and their families
gathered for a moment of silenc.
Oh my gosh, I just got the chil.
I I had been thinking about it,
and I said it's it's could have been us,
it could have been a friend.
And just about an hour ago,
a national group came to the
memorial site with comfort dogs.
The Lutheran Church charity spokesperson
told us they're here to offer support.
The golden retrievers were actually out
at a vigil and prayer service last night,
and the group plans to be out here in
the city of Allen to provide services
and comfort till this Thursday.
We do have an update and we do w
that at this time there are seven people
who were injured in the shooting that
are still at the hospital recovering.
Megan. All right, Suzanne,
thank you for those updates appreciated. And
you know, following the tragedy in Allen,
TX, Democrats are demanding immediate
action to address gun violence.
State Senator Roland Gutierrez gathered
members of the Senate Democratic
Caucus and families of victims of the
Uvalde massacre in Austin this morning.
Together, they called for sensible gun laws,
saying we can't let something le
Allen or Uvalde happen again.
Every time we have one
of these shootings is a mental
health issue. And I think that
we're putting more and more mons
and resources in
the mental health. But it's timr
my Republican brothers and sist.
They come up with some solutions
as it relates to these guns.
Governor Greg Abbott appeared oe
Sunday talk shows and when asked
about gun control, he doubled d.
Abbott said loose gun
laws are not the problem.
Instead we need to focus on mental health.
Abbott's team declined in
interview with WFAA.
May 24th will mark one year sine
a gunman killed 19 children and
two teacher two teachers in Uva.
Nearly every day since,
the grieving families have plead
for gun laws in Texas to change.
But currently a bill to
enhance background checks,
another to expand safe
storage requirements of guns,
a proposal that would raise thee
to purchase in AR15 from 18 to ,
and a bill banning red flag
laws are all stalled.
None of those have made it
out of a House committee,
and a vote on them appears unli.
A few that increase penalties
for felons found in possession
of guns are making their way
through the legislature right n,
and President Joe Biden disagre.
He's calling for a ban on
assault style weapons.
He also wants universal background checks.
The president has ordered flags
to fly at half staff all across
the country in honor of the
victims from Allen through Frid.
And we have seen just an outpoug
of support in the community,
with churches and the mosque
opening their doors to everyone.
I mean,
this was the scene at Cottonwood
Baptist Church last night for a vigil.
Regular folks, Allen, city lead,
even Governor Greg Abbott were
on hand for this.
And the mosque in Allen also hed
a very special prayer service.
Last night.
Faith leaders called this a chae
to remember the victims and for
families left behind to grieve.
Of course,
anytime we have to talk about
a tragedy like this.
It's hard,
but right now in our own commun,
it just gets so much harder.
And that's why getting some help
for our mental health is crucia.
We talked to the CEO of Life Path about it.
It's a group that offers free
counseling to anyone in Collin County.
And we asked what's the best
advice for anyone that is sittig
at home thinking maybe I just
need someone to talk to.
They don't wait.
Do it as soon as you think you
just need somebody to talk to.
It can be for one time for 30 minutes.
It could be for several session,
but don't wait.
Don't wait until it's so overwhelming
you're not able to handle it on yourself.
The sooner somebody reaches outd
starts to talk to another perso,
the better the outcome for everybody.
I think there's going to be a lf
people that probably should take this up.
I hope they do and and if we're
overwhelmed at first, like I sa,
we're going to work with all of our partner
resources and and bring an additional
assistance so we can meet the n.
Unfortunately,
an event like this definitely
brings out a lot of need in the
community for the people that we
there and maybe witnessed it,
but also just the rest of the
community I live in Allen and I think
we're all deeply affected by th.
The first services are really jt
crisis services with a licensed
professional trying to help them
process the traumatic event or
the anxiety that's come up or
grief whatever's happened to hep
them continue to work through
that so that they can continue o
recover and move on eventually.
Some great advice.
So if you are in need of counse,
Life Path Systems is offering
services to Collin County
residents right now at no cost.
You can access them 24/7.
You can find more information on
wfaa.com and we're saying on top
of this story around the clock,
I mean we're going to bring you
every single new update on air
on wfaa.com and on our WFAA
mobile app as well and of cours.