On May 6, a man wearing tactical gear left his vehicle in the parking lot of a mall in Allen and began shooting innocent bystanders. His vest bore a shield-shaped patch with the letters RWDS—an acronym for “Right Wing Death Squad,” a common signifier among far-right ideologues. The gunman used multiple weapons, including an AR-15, to kill eight people and wound at least seven others. Although the motive for the killings is still unknown, authorities confirmed he was a neo-Nazi.
At a press conference the day of the shooting, state Representative Jeff Leach—elected to represent most of Allen, who authored a permitless carry bill allowing citizens to have a handgun in public without a license—announced that a vigil would be held the next day at Cottonwood Creek Church. I attended that vigil as well as a much smaller interfaith one at nearby Christ Throne Church. The two offered competing visions on how the Allen community is dealing with and talking about the mass shooting.
When I checked in as a member of the media at Cottonwood’s sprawling campus, a staff member handed me a piece of paper that said we were not allowed to interview or take photos inside the building, citing attendee privacy. But with reporters at a safe distance, Governor Greg Abbott nevertheless managed a photo opportunity, which his staff promptly posted to his social media accounts.
