Eight people, including a Korean American couple and their child, were killed in the attack, with seven others injured. However, the quick response of the police may have prevented an even greater tragedy.
On June 28, the Allen Police Department in Texas released body camera footage of the officer who subdued the gunman. The day before the video was released, a local court grand jury decided not to indict the officers, stating that their use of force was “justified under the law.”
In the video, an officer from the Allen Police Department, whose identity has not been disclosed, can be seen speaking warmly to two children and their mother in the parking lot in front of the mall. As the officer smiled at the child’s response, several gunshots rang out, prompting him to grab his rifle from his patrol car and run toward the sound of the shots.
As he made his way to the scene of the crime, the officer yelled at people to “get out of here” and radioed, “I think there’s an active shooter.” He urgently reported, “I passed a casualty. I’m moving as fast as I can,” conveying the urgency of the situation.
Three and a half minutes into the shooting, after running until he was out of breath, the officer took a moment to catch his breath and began firing at the shooter. He fired nearly 20 rounds, both primary and secondary, while yelling at the shooter to drop his weapon.
The officer then radioed, “I took him down.” Approaching the downed shooter and seeing another officer, he asked, “Is he down?” to which the other officer replied, “He’s dead,” bringing an end to the encounter.
The chest-mounted body camera footage showed the officer raising his arm to fire, with ricocheting shell casings and bullets, and the sight of the fallen body of the shooter.
Viewers who watched the video on YouTube and other platforms expressed support for the officer, calling him a true hero. Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said in a statement, “This video shows how quickly a casual conversation with people can turn into a life-and-death situation in police work. This officer ran toward the gunfire and neutralized the threat, and the Allen community will be forever grateful for his actions.”
The gunman was later identified as Mauricio Garcia, 33, who had expressed neo-Nazi views. He was found to have brought eight guns to the scene, with three on his body. The motive for the attack remains unclear.
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM [support@koreadaily.com]
