Christian LaCour, 20, a security guard working at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas, was remembered as a hero on Tuesday after it was revealed he helped escort others to safety before he was shot and killed during a mass shooting on Saturday.
Allen Police Department Chief Brian Harvey said LaCour helped escort one individual to safety and remained on site trying to help others when Mauricio Garcia, 33, shot and killed him.
Garcia murdered eight people at the outlet mall, including children, before police shot and killed him.
LaCour's sister, Breanna Smith, remembered her brother in an interview with CNN.
“Christian was a sweet, caring young man who was loved greatly by our family,” she said.
Max Weiss, an employee at the outlets, said he was “the kind of person who would just walk into the store and everyone in the room would light up because he was there.”
“Every time he was in the store, it felt safer,” Mr Weiss said. “He brought laughter and joy and always knew what to say.”
Allied Universal, the company that employed LaCour, released a statement following the news of his death.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Christian LaCour, our security professional who was tragically killed while protecting the customers and employees of the Allen Premium Outlets,” the company said, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Another family member lamented the loss on social media.
“Words cannot even begin to describe the devastation that our family feels,” the family member said. “There will forever be a void.”
Kyu Song Cho, 37, his wife, Cindy Cho, 35, as well as one of their children were also killed in the shooting, as were elementary school students Daniela and Sofia Mendoza, and engineers Aishwarya Thatikonda, 27, Aishwarya Thatikonda, 26, and Elio Cumana-Rivas, 32.
Police are still investigating the motive behind the shooting. Social media accounts linked with Garcia include photos of him with guns, Nazi-symbol tattoos, and espousing white nationalist ideology.
