Following Saturday’s deadly shooting at Allen Premium Outlets, officials confirmed eight people had been killed.
On Sunday, the family of Christian LaCour confirmed the 20-year-old Farmersville resident was among those eight victims. LaCour's father told NBC 5 he was working as a security guard at the outlets at the time of the shooting.
On Tuesday, Allen Chief of Police Brian Harvey said LaCour evacuated one person from the shooting before he was shot by the gunman.
Andria Gaither, assistant manager at the mall's Tommy Hilfiger store, said she was devastated to learn that one of the dead was LaCour, who she said previously worked at the clothing store and often stopped in to chat. Gaither herself had run for her life when shots rang out.
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Just a few nights earlier, she had called LaCour when a customer wanted to come inside after hours. He came and asked the man to leave, then offered a security escort to her and two teenage employees.
"He wanted us to feel safe," Gaither said.
"I'm just in shock," she added. "He was very young, very sweet, came in all the time to visit with us."
In a social media post, LaCour’s grandmother Sandra Montgomery called the 20-year-old “a beautiful soul… with goals for his future.”
"My beautiful grandson, Christian LaCour, was the security guard killed in the shooting at Allen, Texas. He was such a beautiful soul, 22 years old with goals for his future. I was so proud of him and so glad I got to see him two weeks ago. Please pray for my family ... they are very close and I know this is almost unbearable," she wrote.
Another family member wrote, “There will forever be a void.”
The Farmersville ISD said LaCour was a graduate and extended prayers to his family.
They said LaCour was remembered as a genuinely kind person, a dedicated student and a wonderful friend. Their entire statement is below.
"We are heartbroken by the tragic and senseless shooting in Allen, Texas, that claimed the life of one of our Farmer graduates, Christian LaCour. Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to his family. Christian was known as a genuinely kind person. He was a dedicated student who enjoyed learning and asking thought-provoking questions. Christian was a wonderful friend and a good student who fellow students and FISD staff members loved. When there is a tragedy of this magnitude, the entire Farmersville ISD Community feels the pain. Please join us in continuing to pray for Christian’s family, friends, and all those who are feeling his absence. Please know that we are here for each and every one of you, and our Farmersville counselors are available for staff and student support," the district said.
Allied Universal, LaCour's employer, said though his death was the result of needless violence, he died in sacrifice and service to others.
"We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Christian LaCour, our security professional who was tragically killed while protecting the customers and employees of the Allen Premium Outlets," the company said. "Our thoughts go out to the victims, their loved ones and the community of Allen.”
Allied Universal said all other security professionals assigned to the mall are safe and are being offered grief counseling and additional support.
MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR CHRISTIAN LACOUR SCHEDULED
LaCour's family said his Celebration of Life service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 15 at Cottonwood Creek Church.
"Christian was all about comfort and encouraging others to express their true selves. Therefore we ask that those who attend dress in jeans and a T-shirt from their favorite musical or band, movie or cartoon, book, video game, Sci-Fi, fantasy, comic book or anime as these are the things that brought our son joy," the family said.
The family said his favorite colors were red and black, though they asked people to avoid wearing all black because his service was a celebration of his life.
ALLEN MALL SHOOTING
With the outpouring of support for the victims of the mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets, GoFundMe has launched a centralized hub for all verified fundraisers related to the shooting. The online fundraising platform said it was working around the clock to make sure that all funds donated go directly to survivors or the families of victims.
Associated Press writers Jamie Stengle, Vanessa A. Alvarez and Rebecca Reynolds contributed to this report.
