CNN, WFAA, KTVT
By Holly Yan, Tina Burnside, Caroll Alvarado, Chris Boyette, Justin Lear and LJ Spaet, CNN
In emergency dispatches recorded during the outlet mall massacre in Allen, Texas, a breathless search for a killer can be heard among famous American retailers.
“We got shots at the mall,” an officer tells a dispatcher Saturday in audio first obtained by The Dallas Morning News. “We have people running.”
“I’m trying to get to him,” another officer seems to say. “They are still shooting.”
Then a frantic call for backup crosses the police radio: “I need everyone I’ve got.”
An officer says he can’t find the shooter.
“From Tommy Hilfiger. I don’t know where he is,” the officer says, out of breath.
He can still hear gunshots, he says.
A dispatcher says they have received reports of shots being fired from the Nike store on the north side of the mall.
“Watch out for the fire,” the officer said. It’s not clear who he’s talking to.
At the end of the bloody rampage, eight people had died and at least seven others injured in the nation second deadliest mass shooting of this year.
The assault ended when an Allen officer on scene for an unrelated call killed the gunman.
A security guard died trying to help shoppers escape
Christian LaCourA 20-year-old mall security guard was killed while trying to lead people to safety, authorities said.
“We must also recognize the bravery of Allied (Universal) security guard Christian LaCour, who evacuated an individual to safety and was shot while bravely standing by to help others,” said Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey, on Tuesday.
LaCour was “the kind of guy who would just walk into the store and everyone in the room would light up because he was there,” said Max Weiss, a store clerk at the mall.
Another victim, Elio Cumana-Rivas, worked hard as a delivery boy to support his parents who live in Venezuela, his brother Gregory Smith Cumana told CNN.
“We were all very close,” Cumaná said. “He helped his mother buy her medicine, and he also communicated with our father and made sure he had everything he needed.”
and a 6 year old boy left an orphan after his younger brother and parents were shot. Cho Kyu Song, 37; Kang Shin Young, 35; and her 3-year-old son were killed.
Trinity Whitley knew two members of the family: The murdered boy, James, was in his daycare class, and his late mother was his dentist, Whitley told CNN. WFAA affiliate.
A stuffed gray elephant is nailed to the cross of James at the memorial. The boy loved to wear elephant bibs and shirts, Whitley said.
James “was innocent and did nothing wrong,” Whitley told WFAA. “He loved elephants, he loved elephants.”
Two elementary school students sisters daniela and sofia mendozaThey were also killed. His mother, Ilda Mendoza, had been hospitalized in critical condition since Monday; her current condition is unclear.
‘The doctors were shocked’
Witnesses described a gruesome scene, with some victims riddled with bullet wounds from the assailant’s AR-15-style rifle.
“Ambulances came and the doctors were shocked,” said Steven Spainhouer, a military veteran who attempted CPR on three fatally injured victims.
“We were going to try to qualify on the site, but they said: ‘No, these horrible injuries… we can’t qualify. Just load them in the ambulance and go,’” Spainhouer said.
One of the injured was in critical condition and another in serious condition as of Tuesday, according to Medical City Healthcare, which was treating six of the injured. Two others were in fair condition and the remaining two, including one at Children’s Hospital Medical City, were in good condition, the health care network said.
Irvin Walker II had to undergo surgery after the shooter fired directly into his car, hitting him twice in the chest and once in the shoulder, according to a report. GoFundMe Verified established on your behalf. Walker’s surgery was successful and he is stable, the page says.
As mourners across the country try to help the families of the victims, the FBI warns that scammers may try to take advantage of the tragedy. “We are aware of multiple fake online fundraising events that are currently underway for victims,” said Chad Yarbrough, special agent in charge of the FBI Dallas.
GoFundMe has announced a hub for legitimate fundraising accounts to help families affected by the Allen Mall attack.
Disturbing posts online before shooting
The gunman, 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, was carrying three weapons, including an incredibly destructive AR-15-style rifle, and had five more in his car, Texas Department of Public Safety regional director Hank Sibley said. US Mass Shooters I have often used AR-15 style rifles.
All of the firearms Garcia brought in were obtained legally, Sibley said.
Garcia, who had previously worked as a security guard, had no documented criminal record, Sibley said.
Investigators have discovered online posts featuring Garcia have supported Nazism and obsessed with guns and previous mass shootings.
Garcia also had tattoos and patches that expressed neo-Nazi ideas, Sibley said.
After he was shot, Garcia was found wearing a patch that reads “RWDS,” which authorities believe could stand for “right-wing Death Squad,” a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CNN.
The badge also appears to be displayed on a photo posted by a user of the account on the Russian social media website Odnoklassniki that investigators believe to belong to Garcia, according to a law enforcement source.
In the weeks leading up to the Texas mall massacre, the user posted a Google Maps screenshot showing the times of day when the mall was busiest. The user also posted a photo of the mall and writings supporting Nazi ideology.
But it did not appear that the gunman was targeting people based on their ethnicity during the attack.
“To me, it looks like it was targeted at a location rather than a specific group of people,” Sibley said.
The CNN Wire
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Elizabeth Wolfe, Ed Lavandera, Andy Rose, Haley Britzky, Michael Conte, Amanda Jackson, Christina Zdanowicz, Steve Almasy, Josh Campbell, Sara Smart, Casey Tolan, Paul Murphy and CNN’s Curt Devine contributed to this report.
