Hyderabad woman among 9 killed in shooting incident in US

Aishwarya Thatikonda, an Indian-origin engineer, was among the nine people killed when a gunman opened fire on shoppers outside a mall in the Dallas area of the United States on Saturday, according to The New York Post.

Thatikonda, a project manager with a private company in Dallas and a native of Hyderabad’s Saroornagar, had relocated to the United States from India. Local media reports that the 27-year-old was shopping with a friend at the Allen Premium Outlets in Dallas’ northern suburbs when a gunman opened fire. A police officer shot and killed the assailant, identified as Mauricio Garcia.

Thatikonda, 27, lived and worked in McKinney, Texas, while her family was in India, according to WFAA, a Texas-based television station. According to a family representative, the Indian-origin girl was at the outlet mall with a friend when the shots were fired. According to the WFAA report, her friend, who also sustained injuries, is currently in stable condition at the hospital.

According to the representative, Thatikonda’s family intends to return her body to India. Thatikonda had been working in Dallas for over two years, according to her LinkedIn profile.

In a statement, the Allen Premium Outlets stated: “We are horrified by the senseless tragedy at Allen Premium Outlets and are outraged by the violence that continues to plague our country,” according to The New York Post.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and others affected by this heinous act. We are thankful for the Allen Police Officer’s heroic actions and for the support of all the first responders.”

At a news conference on Saturday night, Allen, Texas Police Chief Brian E Harvey stated that the gunman acted alone. At the time of the shooting, a police officer who was on another assignment at the mall heard gunfire and ran towards it, killing the shooter.

According to The New York Times, a shooting occurred around 3:30 p.m. (local time) at the Allen Premium Outlets, an outdoor shopping centre with more than 120 retailers located about 25 miles north of Dallas. Users on social media shared a video of the shooter lying on the ground, dressed in all-black, holding a long rifle, what appeared to be several rounds of ammo and a tactical vest.

Hundreds of customers were seen leaving the area on video, with many of them raising their hands. According to the New York Times, aerial footage showed at least three bodies wrapped in sheets outside the mall.

According to the US Census Bureau, Texas has the nation’s second-largest Indian-American population as of 2020. In 2010, there were 230,842 Indian Americans in Texas, accounting for 0.9% of the total population.

According to Open Doors data, approximately half of Indian students are pursuing higher education in six US states: New York, California, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Arizona. In 2021, Texas had 19,382 Indian students.

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