The Allen Premium Outlets have been labeled as "closed indefinitely" following the mass shooting that occurred on May 6, 2023.
As Allen and neighboring cities grieve, a makeshift memorial went up at the mall.
The mall's owner has listed the shopping center as closed on its website at least through Sunday, which is different from their response to previous shooting incidents.
“The shopping center is closed indefinitely,” Megan Hakes, a spokeswoman for the mall’s owner, Simon Property Group told The Dallas Morning News. She added it’s a “fluid situation.”
Simon lists mass shootings, random acts of violence and consumer perceptions of safety among the risks that could materially and adversely affect its business. Local Profile attempted to contact Simon but did not receive a response prior to publishing.
“Concern around safety risk may impact the willingness of consumers, tenants and tenants’ employees to shop and/or work at our properties, which could result in decreased consumer traffic and decreased sales at our properties, directly and indirectly impacting our revenue and overall asset value,” the company said in an annual filing.
With a revenue of $5.29 billion and a profit of $2.14 billion in the previous year, Simon stands as the biggest mall operator in the U.S.
The recent shooting at the outlet mall was not a one-time event for Simon which operates over 200 properties in the U.S. In the previous summer, a gunman killed three individuals in the food court of Simon's Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, Indiana, before being shot by an armed civilian. While the mall, including the food court where the shooting occurred, reopened two days later, certain stores remained closed.
The shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets was the second most deadly this year. At least eight people were killed and seven more were wounded in the massacre. Multiple victims are being treated at nearby hospitals. The gunman was killed by an Allen police officer, who was nearby for an unrelated call.
To help those affected by the recent tragedy, donations can be made to Community Foundations of Texas. This includes agencies providing mental health, grief and trauma support for the victims and their families, as well as first responders who may also have been impacted by this event.
