Dallas Asian American Historical Society hosts vigil honoring victims of Allen outlet mall shooting

By Erin Jones

On May 15, 2023

DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) – Hundreds attended a vigil Monday night held by the Dallas Asian American Historical Society to honor victims of the Allen mass shooting.

Attending a vigil like this is first for Allen resident Ameer Saithu. 

“Unfortunately, a sad tragedy like this made me come to an event like this,” he said. 

He said as the Asian community mourns the victims in the Allen mass shooting, there’s also a strong sense of fear.

“For me, as a person of color, there is also another angle that is there,” Saithu said. “This particular incident happens to be by a person who had a lot of neo-Nazi memorabilia and he had social media posts that were supporting such ideology.”

The Dallas Asian American Historical Society is bringing attention to the fact that at least five of the Allen mass shooting victims were of Asian descent. Authorities say it appears he was targeting a location, not a specific group of people, but the community is not so sure.

“The targeted location does not exclude the possibility of a hate crime,” Dallas Asian American Historical Society co-founder and  Executive Director Stephanie Drenka said. “Allen and its adjacent cities of Plano, Frisco and Carrollton are home to one of the largest Asian American populations outside of the coasts.”

“The recent shooting at the Allen outlet mall, which is a place frequented by families from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities, was an intentional attack that intensified our sense of vulnerability and a lack of safety,” SAAVETX Education Fund founder and Executive Director Chanda Parbhoo said. 

They’re now demanding a full and thorough investigation by local and federal authorities to try and determine if this was a racially motivated hate crime. Also, asking for action on gun safety reform.

“We cannot sit in the shadows of discrimination any longer,” Parbhoo said. “We must defend the American dream.”

“We need to be an open society that is ready to look at pragmatically what can be done to protect our society,” Saithu said. 

Organizers said they hope what was said tonight will encourage more people to get engaged in the issues and vote for lawmakers that align with their views.

This piece was republished from CBS News Texas.