The eight people killed in a Texas shooting spree last week include three members of a family of four, leaving a wounded 6-year-old an orphan.
Kyu Song Cho, 37, Cindy Cho, 35, and James Cho, 3, were killed Saturday outside the Allen Premium Outlets mall near Dallas. William Cho, 6, was wounded and spent some time in intensive care.
“We are so grateful for the diligent care provided by the hospital staff and for the network of friends and family helping us care for William and spending time with him,” William’s extended family said in an update posted Tuesday on a GoFundMe page set up by family friends.
The fundraiser sought $50,000; in less than 24 hours the total had reached almost $1.3 million.
Meanwhile, Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas, also released a video message Monday afternoon acknowledging the family was among the school community.
“This wonderful, sweet family, three of the four now in heaven and a child left behind,” said Senior Pastor Jack Graham, who revealed that his own father was the victim of a brutal murder. “We are going to keep loving and serving this family. We are going to be present in their lives.”
A deeper look at shopping mall shooting in Allen, Texas, second-deadliest in 2023
Developments:
∙ The Cho family is Korean American. The New York Times says the region has become a “magnet for Asians, especially South Asians, many of them professionals” who work for large corporations based in nearby Plano and Frisco.
∙ The Wylie School District sent a letter to parents confirming the deaths of sisters Sofia and Daniela Mendoza, who both attended Cox Elementary School. The district also said their mother, Ilda, was critically wounded.
Victims’ names emerge in Texas mall massacre; killer’s racist links probed: Updates
Investigators explore killer’s links to white supremacy
Federal agents have been reviewing social media accounts they believe were used by the gunman, identified as Mauricio Garcia, 33. Dozens of social media posts suggest Garcia had an affinity with white supremacist views and influencers, according to multiple experts’ research. A review of some posts, provided to USA TODAY by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, found references to the Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website, and various expressions of race-based hatred. Garcia, gunned down by an officer who responded to the sounds of gunfire at the outdoor mall, was wearing a patch that read “RWDS” – short for “Right Wing Death Squad.” The phrase has been embraced in recent years by far-right extremists who glorify violence against their political enemies.
Contributing: Terry Collins, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
