GoFundMe/Allen Police The Cho family.
Three members of the Cho family – mother Cindy, father Kyu, and their 3-year-old son, James Cho – were among the victims of the Allen, Texas, mall shooter, according to a GoFundMe page.
The page was set up to help the surviving Cho family member, William Cho, 6, who was also at the Allen Premium Outlets mall shooting scene. It has raised more than $555,000.
You can read a victim round-up here.
The gunman was named as Mauricio Garcia, 33, whose social media page expresses white supremacist and neo-Nazi beliefs, hatred of women, and rants about society. You can read more about Garcia’s background and social media posts here. In addition to the eight victims who died in the May 6, 2023, attack, seven people were injured, according to Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd, who spoke in an initial news conference. Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said in that news conference that a police officer who was at the mall on an unrelated call shot and killed the gunman.
Here’s what you need to know about the Cho family:
The GoFundMe Page Says That William Cho Had Just celebrated His 6th Birthday When He Went to the Mall for an Afternoon That Should Have Been ‘Filled With Light, Love & Celebration’
The GoFundMe page says that William Cho had just turned 6-years-old four days before the mass shooting. It reads:
On Saturday, May 6th, Cindy, Kyu, William and James Cho visited the Allen outlet mall together in North Texas. William just celebrated his 6th birthday 4 days prior and James is 3. An afternoon that should have been filled with light, love and celebration unfortunately was cut short by another mass shooting massacre that left 8 victims dead. Cindy, Kyu and three year old James were among those victims that tragically lost their lives and the family is in deep mourning. After being released from the ICU, their six year old son William is the only surviving member of this horrific event.
This GoFundMe is being created to help their family. Please share this link with your family and friends.
Anchor Lauren Pryzbyl wrote on Facebook that Cho family friend Jenn J Loftin told her, “My friend and colleague Cindy Kang, her husband Kyu, and her youngest son James were victims of the attack on Saturday afternoon at the Allen Mall. Cindy’s oldest son, William, survived as Cindy used her body to shield him from the danger of an evil monster. A six-year-old boy lost his entire family in split seconds in the most horrific way possible.”
The post continued, “Cindy was a friend and classmate of mine at UTHSCSA Dental School. She was one of the kindest, happiest, most genuine people I have ever met in my life.”
In 2020, Kyu Cho Wrote, ‘Life is Crazy’ But Expressing Thanks & Happiness That He Was Able to ‘Enjoy This Lifelong Ride With You’
In 2020, Kyu Cho wrote on his Facebook page, tagging Cindy Kang Cho, “Happy 4 years Cindy! Still feels like we’re dating, but who are these two little munchkins?! Life is crazy, but I’m so thankful and happy I can enjoy this lifelong ride with you. I love you. #wife바보 #lovemyboystoo #thisis4.”
People who donated filled the GoFundMe page with support for the Cho family. “My heart is broken for you sweet boy. You didn’t deserve this, and neither did anyone in your family. I hesitate to type all of the things I’m thinking as I wipe away tears,” wrote one woman.
“I’m from Allen and as a father and family man this really hit home and hurt my heart to see. Praying for that boy and the rest of the victims and families involved,” a man wrote.
The Deceased Victims Ranged in Age From 3 to 37
On May 8, 2023, Allen police released this list of deceased victims’ names:
Female, age 11, Sachse, TX
Female, age 8, Sachse, TX
Kyu Song Cho, male, age 37, Dallas, TX
Cindy Cho, female, age 35, Dallas, TX
Male, age 3, Dallas, TX (not named by the police, this victim was James Cho)
Christian LeCour, male, age 23, Nevada, TX
Elio Cumana-Rivas, male, age 32, Dallas, TX
Aishwarya Thatikonda, female, age 26, McKinney, TX
Sandra Montgomery, LaCour’s grandmother, confirmed the news in a Facebook post. “My beautiful grandson, Christian LaCour, was the security guard killed in the shooting at Allen Texas. 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 2 weeks ago,” she wrote.
Fox4 identified the two female juveniles as Danielle and Sofia Mendoza, whose mother was critically injured trying to shield them from the gunman.
READ NEXT: More on the Allen, Texas, Shooting Victims