First responders recognized by Allen after mall shooting – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

The men and women who put on a uniform every day and rush into danger say it's not about recognition.

But in the Allen City Council chambers Tuesday, leaders couldn't let the one-year anniversary of their city's worst tragedy pass without recognizing the heroes who were in attendance.

“They did their job and they worked together as a team. Lives that could have been saved were saved,” Mayor Baine Brooks announced to the room.

The dozen gathered for the moment of recognition atop a city council meeting were just a small sample of the hundreds of law enforcement officers, firefighters and paramedics who responded to the Allen Premium Outlets on May 6, 2023.

A police officer, who was at the mall on an unrelated call, responded to the gunfire, shooting dead a gunman who had opened fire on shoppers, killing eight people.

Others rushed to secure the scene, treat and transport patients. They then conducted a lengthy investigation to confirm the shooter acted alone before freeing shoppers and store staff who were holed up behind the scenes at the 53-acre property.

“If you were there that day, you will never forget it. For this community, it’s a pretty defining moment,” said Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd.

Like many people in his department, Boyd was in the field that day.

He said the past year has been spent taking care of the responders who were on site and evaluating what went well.

“It’s also the story of how a community can come together in an instant and overcome a challenge,” he said.

Leaders said Tuesday's recognition also serves as a symbol of the city's continued commitment to providing resources to its departments, purchasing and policies influenced by lessons learned by Boyd's department and that of its counterpart in police, Chief Steve Dye.

“We certainly hope that this never happens again in any community, but we will certainly be prepared for the fact that if it does happen again, how we can continue to learn from May 6 of last year and how we can continue to respond to it at a high level to keep our community safe,” said Chief Dye.