New Delhi: The Indian consulate in Houston confirmed on Monday, May 8, that one of the eight victims of the Texas mall shooting over the weekend was a 27-year-old Indian civil engineer from Telangana.In a statement on Twitter, the Indian consulate in Houston wrote that it was in touch with the family of Aishwarya Thatikonda and local authorities in Texas. We express our deep condolences to the family of Ms. Aishwarya Thatikonda who died in the tragic shooting incident in Allen, Texas on May 6.We are in touch with the family of the deceased as well as the local authorities. Our officers are on the ground to render all possible…— India in Houston (@cgihou) May 8, 2023Nine people, including the suspect, died in a mass shooting at a shopping mall in Allen, Texas on May 6. According to local media, the shooting began in front of the H&M store in the outlet mall at around 3:36 pm.Local media WFAA revealed that the first two victims of the incident were identified as Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old security guard, and Aishwarya, an engineer who lived in McKinney and had family in India.A family representative told WFAA she had gone to the mall with a friend. Her friend was also injured in the shooting but is currently stable.According to the Indian Express, Aishwarya’s father is T. Narsi Reddy, who serves as the additional district judge at the Special Court for Trial and Disposal of Commercial Disputes in Rangareddy district.A cousin of Aishwarya, T. Srinivas Reddy told the paper that she had messaged her mother that she was going to the Allen Premium Outlet Mall with a friend.“Her mother, Aruna, was aware that Aishwarya was going to the mall and when they heard of the shooting, she tried to call her but received no response. That is when the family members felt something was wrong,” said Aruna.She went to the US after completing her civil engineering degree at Osmania University, Hyderabad. After finishing an MS in construction management from Eastern Michigan University, she joined a Texas construction firm. Aishwarya was about a fortnight away from celebrating her 28th birthday when she was mowed down by the shooter, who had previously written racist social media posts against minorities. “She told me she had planned to go to that mall to purchase clothes and other items she wanted for the birthday. She was looking forward to celebrating after a long time. She also told us a number of Indian students had decided to gather there on the weekend for a get-together, and the invite was circulated on social media,” said Srinivas Reddy.Her body is being sent back to India for the last rites.
