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On Monday, May 8, officials said that two sisters, Daniela and Sofia Mendoza, were among the eight people killed after a lone gunman, 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, opened fire at a shopping mall in Allen, Texas, on Saturday, May 6. The shooter was shot dead by a responding officer at the scene.
On Saturday, the two siblings, Daniela and Sofia Mendoza, were with their mother, Ilda Mendoza, at the mall when the assailant opened fire at shoppers gathered near Allen Premium Outlets. While Daniela and Sofia Mendoza died at the scene, Ilda Mendoza, who was injured, remains hospitalized in critical condition.
On Monday, in a statement sent to parents, Wylie Independent School District confirmed that residents of Sachse, Texas, Daniela Mendoza, 11, and Sofia Mendoza, 8, were killed in the mass shooting incident.
Daniela and Sofia Mendoza were students at Cox Elementary
Daniela and Sofia Mendoza from Sachse, Texas, reportedly went to Cox Elementary School and also took classes at Wylie Elite Cheer. School officials revealed that Daniela Mendoza was a fourth grader at Cox Elementary and Sofia Mendoza, the younger sibling, was in the second grade.
In a statement cited by NBC News, Cox Elementary principal Krista Wilson described Daniela and Sofia Mendoza as “rays of sunshine,” and added:
“Daniela and Sofia will not be forgotten. Hug your kids, and tell them you love them.”
In another statement to ABC News, Wilson condoled the deaths of the two girls, adding that their effervescent presence will be missed.
"Daniela and Sofia were the kindest, most thoughtful students with smiles that could light up any room. Our hearts are broken and words cannot express how deeply they will be missed."
In a statement via Facebook, the Wylie Elite, mourned the loss of the young girls, encouraging people to honor their lives by wearing their favorite color -yellow- for the week. The team revealed that Daniela and Sofia Mendoza were nieces of one of their team families at the gym. The statement read:
“The Allen Outlet tragedy has hit our gym in a personal way. Two of the victims who were sisters, and who lost their lives this past weekend, not only took classes at Wylie Elite, but are nieces to one of our team families. Our hearts are broken for these families. They have shared that one of their favorite colors was yellow. To honor these young ladies, WE want everyone to wear yellow this week."
Wylie district superintendent David Vinson also expressed his sympathies to the girls' family, saying:
“Words cannot express the sadness we feel as we grieve the loss of our students. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mendoza family, the families of the victims, and all those affected by this senseless tragedy.”
Officials revealed that three children were killed in the Allen Mall massacre, including Daniela and Sofia Mendoza. The youngest victim of the shooting was identified as three-year-old James Cho, who was killed alongside his parents, 35-year-old mother Cindy Cho, and 37-year-old father Kyu Cho.
His older brother, six-year-old William Cho, the sole survivor of the family, who was also injured in the incident, remains hospitalized after being released from the ICU.
The other three people killed in the shooting have been identified as 26-year-old McKinney resident Aishwarya Thatikonda, 32-year-old Dallas resident Elio Cumana-Rivas, and 20-year-old Christian LaCour, who worked as a security guard at the mall.
As previously reported, while the motive for the killing is unclear, investigators alleged that the suspect was a neo-Nazi sympathizer as authorities found an ‘RWDS’ - Right Wing Death Squad - patch on the slain Texas Gunman's chest after he was killed.
Authorities said that the suspect’s social media accounts revealed extensive interest in white supremacist views. Police said that the investigations are still in the preliminary stage, where they are assessing if the killings were connected to the shooter's alleged extremist ideologies.
