Victims' families sue over 2023 Allen Premium Outlets shooting
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The Allen shooting shocked many North Texans. Photo: Stewart F. House/Getty Image
Some of the families of the victims of last year's mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets are suing the mall's owner, security contractor, the shooter's estate and the hotel where he was staying.
Why it matters: The incident was one of the biggest mass shootings in North Texas. Eight people were killed, including three members of one family, and seven were wounded.
Context: Mauricio Garcia was staying at a Budget Suites in Dallas while planning the shooting and stockpiling weapons and gear, the suit says.
- Allen Premium Outlets are owned by Simon Property Group, which also owns Grapevine Mills and the high-end Shops at Clearfork in Fort Worth.
- Allied Universal is also named a defendant in the lawsuit as Simon's security provider at the Allen outlets.
What they're saying: The complaint, filed last week, alleges that the entities were negligent in allowing Garcia to plan and carry out the shooting.
- The victims' families are seeking money for medical and funeral expenses, along with the physical pain and mental anguish they say they've endured over the past 15 months.
The other side: Budget Suites and Simon Property Group didn't respond to Axios' requests for comment on Wednesday.
- Allied Universal said it doesn't comment on pending litigation.
Zoom in: The lawsuit also reveals new details about the May 2023 shooting, which first responders described as a "war zone," per the filing.
- It says "the most horrific five minutes in the City of Allen's history" could have been prevented at multiple points.
Threat level: Garcia was stockpiling high-powered firearms, tactical gear, and "totems of terroristic and genocidal ideology" in his room at a Dallas Budget Suites, per court records.
- "These stunning visual images should have raised alarm bells for Budget Suites that Mr. Garcia was planning something violent," the complaint says.
- Authorities have said Garcia scouted the mall before the shooting, held "neo-Nazi ideation" and posted on social media that he hoped for a race war.
Plus: The victims' families also blame the busy outdoor shopping area for not having enough security for what the lawsuit described as "dense weekend crowds."
- Christian LaCour, who was unarmed, was the only guard on duty that day. He was killed while helping families flee, the suit says.
- An Allen police officer who happened to be in the area found the shooter and killed him, without any help from Allied Universal, per the complaint.
Stunning details: Cindy Cho, who was at the mall with her family to exchange clothes, saved her 6-year-old son's life by shielding him from the gunfire. She died, along with her husband and 3-year-old son.
- The 6-year-old ran away and was able to shelter at a clothing store, where he could no longer see his family lying on the sidewalk.
- Another woman, shot in the back, played dead as the shooter walked up to her, the lawsuit says.
- A nurse found the wounded woman and drove her to the hospital, using a yoga mat as a makeshift stretcher. The woman survived but will need reconstructive surgery and lifelong care, per the lawsuit.