WASHINGTON – Gicela Aleman thought she was making just another unremarkable shopping trip to buy her 7-year-old daughter a pair of tennis shoes for an upcoming cheerleading event.
But as she drove into the parking lot of Allen Premium Outlets on May 6, she entered the horrific aftermath of a mass shooting, shortly after a police officer fatally shot the gunman who killed eight people and wounded at least seven others.
“Everything was so confusing,” she said in an interview with The Dallas Morning News. “It was crazy, a lot of people helping, a lot of people running.”
The tale of how she stumbled onto the scene and saved Preeti Patel’s life came to public attention when Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, recently highlighted her story in a speech on the House floor.
“Amidst the chaos and violence, Gicela sprung into action,” Allred said. “Preeti is alive today because of Gicela. An amazing story that deserves a hero’s praise.”
Aleman was trying to make sense of the sprinting police officers and overall chaos when she noticed Patel lying on the ground nearby.
Visiting from India
Patel, 61, also had ventured to the outlets, one of North Texas’ most popular shopping centers, for what she expected to be a routine trip. She was visiting the area from India to see family and spend time with her 2-year-old grandson.
Aleman, a graphic designer from Richardson, first thought Patel might have fallen or suffered a heart attack. She brought her some water and a pillow for her neck. Then she realized she had been shot in the back and severely wounded.
Amid the scramble to handle so many casualties, a police officer asked Aleman if she could drive Patel to the hospital.
Aleman pulled a yoga mat from her trunk and used it as a makeshift stretcher, loading Patel into the back seat of the SUV with help from other uninjured shoppers. Patel’s husband and son came running and jumped into the back seat as well.
Aleman’s daughter Adele sat in the front as they drove to Medical City McKinney, about three miles away. That’s where most of the wounded were transported by ambulance.
After delivering Patel, Aleman wrote her phone number on a gas receipt and handed it to the family. They later reached out to Aleman, who went to the hospital on Mother’s Day for a more relaxed, but emotional reunion. She brought Adele along with her.
“So she can get closure too, seeing the happy ending,” Aleman said.
Aleman, 43, was born and raised in Mexico. Her family moved to Texas about 10 years ago to get away from the drug situation there.
Family of entrepreneurs
She described her family as entrepreneurs. She runs a printing business and her husband Guillermo Flores owns a mechanic’s garage.
There were many reasons for her not to be at the outlet mall that day – the cheerleading event was a few weeks off. She was pressed for time. But for some reason she felt compelled to buy the shoes right then.
She says she feels blessed to have been chosen to be in the right place at the right time to help Patel and knows there were many people helping each other that day.
“I wish nothing like this would happen again, because it’s just not right,” Aleman said.
Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said both the police officer on scene and Aleman made the right decision to move fast.
“They absolutely saved a life by getting her to a trauma facility very quickly,” Boyd told The News.
Patel and her family have declined to do interviews but provided a statement through Allred’s office. They said the gun violence that impacts too many in America hit close to home for them on May 6.
“What was supposed to be a normal day shopping at the Allen Outlets ended in tragedy,” the family said. “Preeti was shot from behind by an assault-style weapon and was severely wounded. She is still recovering from her injuries and multiple surgeries and will still need several major surgeries over the next 6-8 months.”
They also expressed appreciation for those who cared for Patel: “Preeti and the entire Patel family would like to thank Gicela Aleman for her heroic act of selflessness, and the entire team at Medical City McKinney for all the love and care.”
