Texas mall shooting victim ID’d as security guard Christian LaCour, 20

A 20-year-old security guard and an engineer who moved to the US from India were identified as two of the eight people fatally shot at a Texas mall Saturday.

Christian LaCour, of Farmersville, was on the job and Aishwarya Thatikonda, of McKinney, was shopping with a friend when they were both killed at the Allen Premium Outlets after gunman Mauricio Garcia began shooting, according to local reports.  

Sandra Montgomery, LaCour’s grandmother, mourned the loss of her “beautiful grandson” while confirming he was among the fatalities.

The young man’s family became terrified when it couldn’t reach him after Saturday’s bloodbath.

“Christian LaCour, was the security guard killed in the shooting at Allen Texas,” Montgomery wrote on Facebook. “He was such a beautiful soul, 20 years old with goals for his future.

“I was so proud of him and so glad I got to see him two weeks ago.”

Kellie Smith, the mother of LaCour’s sister-in-law, said the whole family is devastated over the young man’s death, describing him as a “sweet young boy” who grew up into a “very sweet gentleman.”

“Words can not even begin to describe the devastation that our family feels,” Smith wrote. “Their will forever be a void.”


Victim Christian LaCour, 20, was a security guard at the Allen Premium Outlets.
Slain victim Christian LaCour, 20, was a security guard at the Allen Premium Outlets.
Kellie Smith/Facebook

Meanwhile, a family representative confirmed to WFAA Thatikonda was also among the dead from the senseless gun violence.

She was an engineer living and working in Texas while her family was in India, the station reported.

She was with a friend at the outlet mall when the shots rang out, the family rep said. Her friend was injured, but is currently in stable condition at the hospital.


Aishwarya Thatikonda
Aishwarya Thatikonda worked as a project engineer at Perfect General Contractors LLC before being killed in Saturday’s mass shooting.
LinkedIn/Aishwarya Thatikonda

Her family planned to bring her body back to India, the representative said.

She was working in Dallas as a project engineer for more than two years before her tragic death, according to her LinkedIn profile.

In a statement about the shooting, the mall said, “We are horrified by the senseless tragedy at Allen Premium Outlets and are outraged by the violence that continues to plague our country.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and others affected by this heinous act. We are thankful for the Allen Police Officer’s heroic actions and for the support of all the first responders.”


Eight people were killed and seven others injured during Saturday's shooting.
Eight people were killed and seven others injured during Saturday’s shooting.
via REUTERS

Shocking footage from the mall’s parking lot showed a man stepping out of a gray sedan dressed in black tactical gear and armed with an AR-15-style rifle before opening fire on shoppers in Allen, located about 25 minutes north of Dallas.

Six of those killed outside the mall were pronounced dead at the scene.

Nine other victims were hospitalized, including two who later died of their wounds, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said. 

Garcia, 33, was shot and killed by an officer who was patrolling the area.


The gunman was killed by an officer who was patrolling the area and called for backup.
The gunman was killed by an officer who was patrolling the area and called for backup.
AP

Shoppers and residents were evacuated from the mall after the shooter was killed.
Shoppers and residents were evacuated from the mall after the shooter was killed.
via REUTERS

A Dallas home linked to Garcia’s parents was searched by police Saturday night after the massacre, and officials also scoured a motel where the shooter had booked an extended stay, law-enforcement sources told local outlet WFAA-TV.

Officials are investigating whether Garcia held radical beliefs that may have helped lead to the mass shooting, after he was found wearing a patch on his chest that suggested white supremacist or neo-Nazi leanings, according to the Washington Post

The patch had the acronym “RWDS” which stands for “Right Wing Death Squad,” an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Associated Press.

The official also said federal agents are reviewing social media accounts they think belonged to Garcia which expressed an interest in white supremacist and neo-Nazi views.

An emotional vigil was held for the slain victims Sunday evening.

With Post wires