Asian American advocacy organizations in Texas are leading a charge to organize a community response to the Allen mass shooting and ensure the tragedy is not forgotten or repeated.
On May 6, a gunman killed eight people and injured seven others outside Allen Premium Outlets. It was the second-deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. this year. Authorities have said Mauricio Garcia brought eight weapons — five of which were inside his car — to the shooting, which lasted 3-4 minutes. All of the weapons were purchased legally.
Multiple organizations with ties to the Asian American community held a joint news conference Monday afternoon to call on authorities to fully investigate of the motives of the gunman and to push elected officials to pass gun reform laws. They were joined at Oak Lawn Methodist Church by local social justice groups with ties to other communities of color.
As part of Monday’s events, a vigil and community healing opportunity took place at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church to honor the victims, many of whom were people of color. Four of the eight killed were of Asian descent.
The eight were identified as Kyu Cho, 37; Cindy Cho, 35; James Cho, 3; Daniela Mendoza, 11; Sofia Mendoza, 8; Christian LaCour, 20; Elio Cumana-Rivas, 32; and Aishwarya Thatikonda, 26.
“Without efforts to determine whether or not this was a racially motivated crime, it’s leaving communities feeling more vulnerable,” said Stephanie Drenka, co-founder of the Dallas Asian American Historical Society. “It is leaving the door open for other people who would commit certain crimes like this to think that they have the leeway to do so.”
Hank Sibley, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s North Texas regional director, said the shooter may have targeted the location — not necessarily a group of people.
However, Drenka said the DPS statement reveals…
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