Plans finalized for Allen mass shooting remembrance to mark 1-year anniversary

One year after the mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets, the city will host a community memorial to honor victims and survivors.

A remembrance event will begin at 6:30 p.m. May 6 at Credit Union of Texas Event Center, 200 E. Stacy Road in Allen. Doors will open at 6 p.m. The program will include performances from the Allen High School choir and Allen Philharmonic Orchestra, along with an interfaith reflection.

Allen’s community orchestra will perform a piece it commissioned as a tribute to the eight killed in the shooting. Those victims will be represented by eight soloists in the orchestra playing the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola and cello.

Called In Lumine, which means “in light,” the piece is meant to suggest that victims be remembered as they lived in the light of life, the city said in an announcement of the event. Lane Harder, senior lecturer and co-chair of music theory and composition at Southern Methodist University, composed the piece.

The remembrance is free and open to the public. No tickets are required, but attendees must abide by the facility’s prohibited items and clear bag policies.

In addition to the remembrance, a citywide moment of silence will be observed at 3:36 p.m. May 6.

One year ago on that date, a gunman opened fire outside the mall, killing eight people, wounding seven others and traumatizing hundreds more. A wounded mother lost two children. A wounded child lost both parents and his brother. Among the other victims were a security guard a relative called a “beautiful soul” and an engineer from India who found family in Frisco.

A police officer shot the gunman within five minutes after he fired the first shots.

In the days after the shooting, a memorial grew outside the sprawling open-air outlet mall with rows of flowers, balloons and stuffed animals along with signs that read “pray for Allen” and “show Allen love.” Community members gathered there for candlelight vigils.

A permanent memorial to honor the victims is in the works, mall officials said Monday.