‘We are deeply saddened’: Victim of Texas mass shooting identified as a UMass Amherst graduate

DALLAS, TX — It took four minutes for a neo-Nazi with an arsenal of firearms to kill eight people and wound seven others at a Dallas-area shopping center before a police officer ended the rampage, likely saving untold lives.

Kyu Song Cho, a University of Massachusetts Amherst graduate, was one of the victims killed along with his wife, Cindy, and their 3-year-old son, James.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of our UMass Amherst alumnus Kyu Cho, his wife, and their three-year-old son in the Texas mall shooting,” said campus spokesman Edward Blaguszewski. “Mr. Cho graduated from UMass Amherst in 2007 with a degree in political science.”

Kyu Cho, 37, and Cindy Cho, 35, reportedly took their family to the Allen Premium Outlets to run errands.

The Chos’ 6-year-old son, William, was injured and needed treatment at an ICU. He is the only surviving member of the family.

A GoFundMe page set up for Cho’s youngest son William had raised nearly $1.7 million by Wednesday afternoon.

Porter Legal Group, where Cho was a managing attorney, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that coworkers were “shocked, absolutely crushed.”

“Although Kyu has only been with our firm for a year, it was immediately apparent that he is one of the most thoughtful, caring and considerate people we have ever had the pleasure to know and work alongside,” the post said. “He was that way as a leader, mentor, and friend at our organization too. He was loved and respected by his and our entire team.”

Cho was born in South Korea and raised in Dallas.

The suspect who opened fire at a mall in Allen, Texas, was identified as Mauricio Garcia, 33, of Dallas.

According to law enforcement authorities, a preliminary review of Garcia’s social media accounts reveal posts that include racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist rhetoric. Federal authorities are reportedly investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism.

Here’s what else we know about the shooter:

• He lived with his parents in Dallas prior to moving to a hotel in the days before the shooting.
• He was armed with an “AR-15 style assault weapon,” President Joe Biden said.
• He also had a handgun, a senior law enforcement official said.
• More weapons and ammunition were found in his car.
• According to the Wall Street Journal, investigators recovered more firearms from the hotel room where Garcia had been living prior to the shooting.
• He is believed to have acted alone, police said.
• Garcia had served in the U.S. Army in 2009 but was discharged over “mental health concerns,” according to WFAA. Military officials told the Army Times that he served three months and did not complete his initial entry training.
• Garcia worked as a private security guard from 2016 to 2020 and completed his firearm proficiency training in 2018, according to the Daily Beast. The website cited Texas Department of Public Safety data.
• His victims were between the ages of 5 and 61. Six of the injured victims are still in hospital, three of whom are in critical condition.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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