STATEMENT: Texas Advocacy Organizations call for Texas leadership to address gun violence on One Year Anniversary of Allen Mall Shooting
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 6, 2024
Contact: Christina Hahn
christina@asiantexansforjustice.org
May 6, 2024 marks the one year anniversary of the Allen Mall Shooting in which a gunman took the lives of eight people, four of whom were of Asian descent, in Allen, Texas. Asian Texans for Justice (ATJ), Dallas Asian American Historical Society, De Colores Collective, KA:LL Community, South Asian Voter Empowerment Education Fund, Remembering Black Dallas, Dallas Truth Racial Healing & Transformation, and Stop AAPI Hate call on Texas state leadership to address the continued rise in racially motivated crimes and gun violence through meaningful policy change.
DALLAS, TEXAS — Eight advocacy organizations commemorate the lives of the eight victims of the Allen Mall Shooting who were killed by a gunman on May 6th, 2023. Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of the victims of the Allen Mall Shooting. We mourn the loss of life in our North Texas community. Regardless of race, class, gender, or religion, all Texans deserve to live free from the fear of gun violence.
Despite authorities finding that the gunman held Neo-Nazi ideology and targeted a location with a large AAPI population, Texas government leadership has failed to acknowledge the role of racism and refused to pass legislation preventing further gun violence. In 2023, the people of Texas experienced forty-seven additional mass shootings after the Allen Mall Shooting, totaling sixty-five mass shootings in Texas for the year. We will not stay silent in our fight for a safer Texas for all.
Our collective calls for Texas state, local, and municipal leadership to address the continued rise of gun violence and racially motivated hate crimes through officially labeling the Allen Mall Shooting as a hate crime, reintroducing HB 2744 (the bill that would have raised the legal age for purchasing an AR-15) in the next legislative session, and investing in community violence intervention. Texans deserve safety in their homes, communities, and public spaces.
“83% of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans support gun safety legislation. We want to protect our communities from gun violence. This election year, we’re reminding Texas leaders that AAPI are the fastest growing population of eligible voters in Texas and our concerns should not be ignored.”
- Lily Trieu, Executive director of Asian Texans for Justice
“The erasure and misrepresentation of our communities in history combined with the lack of gun safety legislation have made Texas a breeding ground for racist violence. There is a pressing need to expand and integrate Asian American Studies into state curriculum more comprehensively, so we can shape a better, safer future with lessons from our history.”
- Stephanie Drenka, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Dallas Asian American Historical Society
“The SAAVETX EF community mourns the families affected by the tragic Allen shooting last year. Our hearts go out to the victims and their loved ones, and we honor their memory by advocating for meaningful change. The incident at Allen Mall in Texas underscores the persistent threat of white supremacist ideology, leaving our community in constant fear and vulnerability. It is imperative that Texas authorities acknowledge the role of racism and bigotry in fueling such violence and take decisive action to address these root causes. We demand accountability and action from our leaders to combat gun violence and racial hatred, ensuring the safety and well-being of all Texans. Together, we stand united against hate and in solidarity with those affected, determined to eradicate hatred and uphold the values of justice and equality in our communities.”
- Chanda Parbhoo, Founder & Executive Director of South Asian American Voter Empowerment Education Fund
“Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation’s mission is to create a radically inclusive Dallas and Fort Worth by addressing race and racism through narrative change, relationship building, and equitable policies and practices. This mission means that all of us must continue to work to make sure that race-based violence and hate-fueled shootings like the massacre in Allen never happen again. We demand that local, regional, state and federal governments do more to keep us all safe, and especially to protect our AAPI communities who have been deeply impacted by this tragedy.”
- Jerry Hawkins, Executive Director of Dallas Truth, Racial Healing, & Transformation
"On this solemn anniversary, Remembering Black Dallas stands in solidarity with Asian Texans for Justice, calling for an end to racial hatred and senseless gun violence. As we remember the innocent victims of the Allen Outlet Mall shootings, we call on elected officials at all levels of government, to take meaningful action to ensure that no other families have to endure the loss of loved ones due to racial hatred and senseless gun violence. "
- Dr. Deborah Hopes, President of Remembering Black Dallas
“The hate-fueled massacre in Allen, Texas, illustrates the ongoing danger of unchecked white supremacist ideology across the nation — a threat that requires explicit acknowledgement and action to stop. But Texas authorities have not fully acknowledged the role of racism and bigotry in the shooting, fueling the normalization of gun violence and targeted hate against people of color and others at risk. As we mourn the loss of the victims, we will continue to demand our leaders tackle the interwoven threats of gun violence and racial hatred — to uphold their duty to keep us safe.”
- Manjusha Kulkarni, Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate and Executive Director of AAPI Equity Alliance
“It is abysmal that we live in a region that has proudly maintained its identity as a breeding ground for hate and violence. The state of Texas' inaction on gun violence and encouraged racist, xenophobic policies have elevated this behavior with no accountability. The increase in White Supremacist Latinos serves as proof and should be of grave concern to all. We must keep fighting for liberation. These innocent people deserve to live long, full lives and I'd love to see this policy change in my lifetime. We will keep fighting for the people and in their memory always.”
- Eva Arreguin, Co-Founder & Executive Director of De Colores Collective
“As Christians of AAPI heritage, we stand against gun violence and crimes motivated by hate, including anti-Asian hate. We boldly proclaim that God deplores violence in our homes and in our streets. We fearlessly declare that God's table is for all, regardless of one's race, gender, or identity.”
- Reverend Danielle Buwon Kim, KA:LL Community
We urge Governor Abbott and the Texas Legislature to focus their priorities on issues that better serve Texans of color, and keep all Texans safe. On this day of remembrance, we honor the lives of those lost in the Allen Mall Shooting and fight for gun control policies that will make Texas safer for all those who call this place home.
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Asian Texans For Justice (ATJ) envisions a future where all people feel bold in their belonging. We connect Asian and Pacific Islander Texans to civic action to build personal and political power. For updates follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
