‘I Haven't Been Able to Shake the Sound': Store Employee Recounts Mass Shooting at Allen Mall

An employee at one of the stores at the Allen Premium Outlets is retelling the moments she realized an active shooter was on the property while also taking a brave step toward healing.

On Wednesday, Mireya Rodriguez stepped foot on the mall property for the first time since Saturday. The emotion came flooding back -- leaving her recalling the moments she heard a popping noise.

“All of a sudden I heard a noise and I just thought, ‘gun,’” she said. “Immediately I thought, 'gun.'”

With just seconds to make critical decisions, they corralled everyone into an inventory closet and began to strategize. She said her thoughts were racing.

“We could lock ourselves in the office, we could lock ourselves in the bathroom,” Rodriguez said. “It was just constantly thinking about if something happens next, what are we going to do in the span of seconds?”

Then, there were the text messages she sent to friends and family. She shared a message she sent to her mother: “Shooting. At my job. We locked everyone in the back. Like a lot of gunshots. A lot.”

Mireya Rodriguez is back at the Allen outlets for first time since Saturday.

Of everything she witnessed that day, she says the sound of gunfire is most difficult to shake.

She shared this text - the moment she told her family an active shooter was on property. At 10 @NBCDFW pic.twitter.com/HTa9oj8AXk

— Candace Sweat (@CandaceNBC5) May 11, 2023

“I had friends that were like, 'We didn't know you were alive for three hours,'” she said.

Of all she witnessed that day, Rodriguez said it's the sound of gunfire she'll never forget. 

“I still haven't been able to shake the sound,” she said. “I just moved into an apartment, and I don't even think I can hang the frames up. I don't want to hear that kind of banging. I shuddered at school when they were doing construction today.”

She said being at the mall during the vigil Wednesday was difficult, but she wanted to be there; to feel the support of the community and honor the lives taken.

Rodriguez said she plans to return to work when the mall reopens.

With the outpouring of support for the victims of the mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets, GoFundMe has launched a centralized hub for all verified fundraisers related to the shooting. The online fundraising platform said it was working around the clock to make sure that all funds donated go directly to survivors or the families of victims.