A security guard, an engineer, 3 children among the Texas mall shooting victims
DALLAS — North Texans grieved in the aftermath of gunfire that killed eight people and wounded seven others at an Allen mall — leaving the community to grapple with the second-deadliest mass shooting in the United States this year.
An injured mother lost two children. An injured child lost both parents and a sibling. Among the other victims was a security guard a relative called a “beautiful soul,” and an engineer from India who found family in Frisco.
The shots rang out just after 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Allen Premium Outlets in the 800 block of West Stacy Road, near U.S. Highway 75. Seven people were pronounced dead on scene, including the gunman who was shot by a police officer. Two others died at the hospital.
Of the seven additional people who were wounded, three were in critical condition, two were in fair condition and one was in good condition, Medical City Healthcare said Monday. It was unclear what hospital the final patient was being treated at or what their condition was.
Here’s what we know about the lives lost:
Christian LaCour, 20
Christian LaCour, a Farmersville resident, was one of the eight people killed, a family member confirmed Sunday. He was 20.
The relative told The Dallas Morning News that LaCour was “a sweet caring young man who was loved greatly by (their) family.”
LaCour was a security guard for the outlets, according to a statement from Allied Universal.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Christian LaCour, our security professional who was tragically killed while protecting the customers and employees of the Allen Premium Outlets,” the security company said.
Multiple family members of LaCour posted tributes to him on social media.
“He was such a beautiful soul, 20 years old with goals for his future,” one Facebook post said. “I was so proud of him.”
“Words cannot even begin to describe the devastation that our family feels,” said another. “There will forever be a void.”
Aishwarya Thatikonda, 26
Aishwarya Thatikonda was a project engineer from India. She was 26.
Ashok Kolla, treasurer of the Telugu Association of North America, spent Sunday identifying Thatikonda and is now working with her family to have her body brought back home. Kolla said he did not know Thatikonda, but that the Telugu Association of North America often helps families dealing with catastrophic events.
“The tough part here is communicating with the family because the child is here and the family is back in India,” Kolla said. “This has been a tough weekend. We’re really grieving.”
Kolla said he hopes the transportation of Thatikonda back to her family will be finalized in the next 36 to 48 hours.
Thatikonda worked in Frisco as a project engineer at Perfect General Contractors LLC beginning in late 2020. She worked as a manager at the construction company, spending most days in the office with only the company’s owner, Srinivas Chaluvadi.
Working together for eight hours a day, five days a week for more than two years, Thatikonda and Chaluvadi built a familial bond. Thatikonda fit right in between Chaluvadi’s kids, younger than his son and older than his daughter.
“She’s staying away from her parents, 11,000 miles away, so she found a fatherly figure in me and I found a daughter-like personality in her,” Chaluvadi said.
Their families came from similar backgrounds, Chaluvadi said, and the two engineers shared in traditions and festivals that they celebrated at work. Thatikonda came to Chalvadi’s daughter’s 16th birthday celebration shortly after starting with the company. She attended his daughter’s 18th birthday party in March.
Perfect General Contractors completed one of its projects this weekend, and the company planned to mark the occasion alongside Thatikonda’s birthday on May 18.
“We were planning some good things (for) her birthday,” Chaluvadi said. “We were planning a family dinner with her and my family.”
The food wouldn’t be fancy, Chalvadi said, just some rice and curries.
“Nothing fancy about it,” he said. “But the memory is fancy. The occasion is fancy.”
Chalvadi said he doesn’t plan to have the dinner now that Thatikonda is gone.
Eastern Michigan University, where Thatikonda received her master's degree in construction management, released a statement to students Monday on Thatikonda’s death.
“As the nation has to once again grapple with a senseless act of gun violence, we share our condolences with Aishwarya’s family and friends. She will forever be remembered as a strong Eastern Michigan University Eagle,” the statement said.
A man who was with Thatikonda at the time of the shooting was also injured. It was unclear what condition he was in as of Monday.
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