Nearly one month after the mass shooting, the Allen Premium Outlets re-opened to the public on Wednesday.
The shopping center has been closed since a gunman opened fire on May 6, killing eight people and wounding several others before an Allen police officer shot and killed him.
It was a day filled with mixed emotions in Allen, as life is starting to get back to some sort of “normal.” Shoppers told NBC 5 it doesn’t feel the same but they know the first step to moving forward, is facing the fear.
“It’s OK to be afraid but we can’t allow bad things to dictate our behavior,” said Andrew Taylor, who was bringing his daughter to the outlets on Wednesday.
Despite the reopening, crowds remained relatively thin throughout the day.
On most store windows are stickers that say “Allen Strong,” which were provided by the outlets’ owners, Simon Property Group. In a statement, the owners said its 120 stores and restaurants have the flexibility to resume operations at their own pace over the next several weeks.
Across the property, there is a heavy security presence of guards and Allen police officers.
Six comfort dogs with Lutheran Church Charities were also on patrol to support shoppers and store employees. Some dogs will also be back out again on Friday.
“We realize that healing is going to take a long time, so this is the first step to come out on the day of reopening to just be there for them and let them know that we still remember and that we’re here for them,” said Carolyn Nussman with Lutheran Church Charities.
Allen Police operates a substation on the property to support on-site police services. The increased security is expected to continue through the weekend.
A permanent memorial to honor the victims is still in the works, according to the mall. It is expected to take several months.
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
