DALLAS — A few days after the shooting massacre at the Allen Premium Outlets mall, crowds continue visiting a growing memorial to the eight children and adults who were killed on Saturday.
Concerned community members continued sharing hugs and prayer, while reflecting on yet another fatal act of senseless gun violence.
“This was avoidable. This doesn’t have to happen, and it doesn’t have to keep happening. It needs to stop,” Samantha Shub of Plano, Texas, said as she visited the memorial.
As people continue processing the mass shooting, six injured victims remain in hospitals. Among them is Irvin Walker II of Lafayette, Louisiana. He currently resides in Lewisville, Texas.
Family members describe the 46-year-old aspiring businessman as a loving father, a gentle giant and a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
“It’s been extremely difficult, as you can imagine. It’s not only the physical aspect that he’s dealing with, but it’s the mental side as well,” said Daryl Washington, Esq.
Washington is a Dallas-based attorney who has been retained by Walker’s family to look into the shooting. He said Walker had just dropped off a friend and went to find parking when the gunman began firing shots into his car.
Walker was shot multiple times, including wounds to the chest and shoulder.
“He was just basically placed into survival mode. Trying to figure out what he can do not to get shot again. Ran into the store and realized that was probably not a good idea, because he was going to bleed out. He really needed to get some help,” Washington explained.
Walker had surgery on Monday. Doctors are evaluating his progress day-by-day, according to Washington.
His injuries aren’t just physical. Like other victims who were at the outlet mall on Saturday, there’s also mental trauma.
“The really tough part of it is one of the security guards that was killed, he was right next to him, at the time that happened,” Washington said.
While the shooting remains fresh on people’s minds, it’s a tragedy that will have a lasting impact.
“Bottom line. It needs to stop. This was not inevitable. This is preventable,” Shub said.
A community vigil is planned for Wednesday, May 10, at 7 p.m. The vigil will take place at the memorial outside Allen Premium Outlet mall.