Saturday, May 6th, 2023 was marked by yet another horrific tragedy, as nine people lost their lives and seven more were injured in a shopping mall in Allen, Texas. Among those killed are four members of the AANHPI community—a Korean family of three, leaving a son orphaned, and an Indian woman. The police are currently investigating the extent to which the attack was motivated by far-right extremist ideologies. Regardless, we at APAMSA lament all of the lives that were devastated by this past weekend’s events—not merely those within the AANHPI community.

In every instance, we staunchly oppose gun violence (Resolution 40.006) and demand stricter gun control. Indeed, we believe strong gun regulations are essential to ensuring all people’s safety, as shown by the string of shootings that have preceded this latest one over the past year, from Laguna Woods and Buffalo to Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay. We call for legislators to fight with unprecedented urgency to protect those innocent lives who might be saved through gun reform. We cannot allow any more injustices to terrorize those whom we hold dear.

We continue to offer our support to all of our local chapters and members, especially in Texas, and we encourage you to reach out with any specific ways we can be of service. Please also consult our list of mental health resources if you are interested in learning more.

If you are interested in exploring additional ways APAMSA can lend our support during these trying times, please reach out to Karen Qi at mentalhealth@apamsa.org, and the Region 9 Directors at region9@apamsa.org.