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A 27-year-old woman from Hyderabad was identified as one of the eight deceased after a shooting in the US' Texas on Saturday, 6 May.
Aishwarya Thatikonda, daughter of Rangareddy district and sessions judge T Narsi Reddy, was a resident of the US since 2018, and moved after receiving a degree in civil engineering from Hyderabad's Osmania University.
She used to work as a project engineer with a local Texas firm, which she joined, completing her masters in construction management from Eastern Michigan University in 2020.
Local media reports said that she was shopping at the Allen Premium Outlets in the northern suburbs of Dallas with a friend when a gunman opened fire.
A report by Texas' WFAA television station said that according to a family representative, her friend also sustained injuries and is in a stable condition at a hospital. Her family plans to bring her mortal remains back to India and are expecting them to arrive by Wednesday, the representative added.
Family Reels from Untimely Loss
Aishwarya's cousin in Saroornagar, who was quoted by The Indian Express, said that the 27-year-old was doing well professionally and recently received a promotion as well.
The report added that she last made contact with her mother, Aruna, on Saturday evening and informed her that she was going to the mall with a friend.
When the mother learned of the shooting in Dallas and tried calling Aishwarya, she received no response.
Meanwhile, another family member, N Ram Reddy, inquired with local district authorities and hospitals the next morning, confirming Aishwarya's untimely death.
“We don’t know what happened and we don’t want to talk about anything. The family is in touch with Telugu NRI associations in the US and government authorities to bring back her body,” the family member added.
The Shooting
At least nine people were killed and seven wounded in Dallas after a gunman opened fire in a mall on Saturday, 6 May.
Shoppers were thrown into a state of panic and terror as the assailant stepped out of his vehicle in a mall parking lot and opened fire.
The gunman, who was identified as Mauricio Garcia, 33, was shot dead outside the Allen Premium Outlets mall, Police Chief Brian Harvey told the media.
Jon Boyd, the city’s fire department chief, said that his team “took at least nine victims with gunshot wounds to area hospitals,” reported Reuters. However, two of them died and three were critical.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that the mass shooting was “an unspeakable tragedy,” adding that the state would offer all assistance to local authorities.
The chaos was put to an end by a police officer who was coincidentally present in the area while attending to a separate incident.
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