The outpouring of emotion continued Tuesday and the makeshift memorial continued growing at the Allen Premium Outlets Mall.
It was the site of Saturday’s mass shooting that left eight people dead. A constant flow of visitors brought flowers and prayers to the sited where crosses are also posted.
Two volunteers who helped set up the memorial are sharing their grief with visitors. Allen Resident Cheryl Jackson stepped forward to tend to the display as so many flowers kept arriving and people began trampling on them.
“And I’m like, 'No. Allen is a clean city. Allen is a great city. Allen is known as a city of love,'” Jackson said. “I was here 48 hours before the shooting happened and thought, there by the grace of God there I go. It is my gift back.”
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Jackson said people who were very close to the victims have shared emotional moments with her.
“And she just looked up at me with tears streaming down and she said thank you. And that got me,” Jackson said.
Artist Roberto Marquez began work on a mural Tuesday. He brought eight small crosses as the memorial was getting started days ago, then used donated lumber to post eight much larger crosses. He said he hopes the painting will help promote healing as the memorial swells.
“I’ve done a number of other memorials and very few people appear. But now is different,” he said.
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Some visitors left handwritten messages on the crosses saying they wanted to add prayers in this time of grief.
“There’s a greater purpose and there’s a greater plan and I pray these people are all at peace, and all with our good Lord,” visitor Alyssa Moates said.
Some people who did not know the victims personally said they felt the loss of safety their neighbors suffered in the well-known place.
“You can’t take anything for granted. You just have to cherish what you have and every precious moment,” visitor John Jein said.
Marquez said he hopes his new mural will share that message.
“Instead of having like a tragedy on the canvas, it won’t be. It will be a message from support, hope,” Marquez said.
On the day authorities did provide some additional information about their investigation and the shooter, the memorial site was still a place where many visitors were searching for answers.
“There’s just so many questions and not enough answers and so much pain and we haven’t started healing. The pain is just the beginning,” Jackson said.
Officials said the mall will remain closed indefinitely as the investigation and the grieving continue.
