As a reporter, I’ve covered tragedies, called coroner’s offices. I never imagined I’d have to do it for my chosen family, let alone for a mass shooting.
Be kind like Aunt Mymy.
#MontereyPark
Here is my recount.
@wfaa
@WFAADaybreak
@aaja
@TEGNA
Mymy Nhan was the first person shot and killed during the
#MontereyPark
mass shooting.
I've covered a lot of tragedies, and never imagined one would hit so close to home.
My husband's family is hurting beyond measure.
Here's a statement on behalf of the family.
Last night, we got a 14 minute call that we anticipated, dreaded, and will never forget.
It was from the coroner’s office.
Remember the victims of the Monterey Park mass shooting.
More to come.
I realized I didn’t clarify - she’s my husband’s aunt.
Please direct all media inquiries to me, as you can imagine they have a lot to take care of moving forward.
Mymy treated her nieces/nephews like her own kids. Her kindness is what’s needed in this world.
#MontereyPark
Hi all,
Our family started a GoFundMe for Mymy Nhan’s funeral.
Mymy’s mother (my husband’s grandma) also passed away 4 weeks ago so this is back to back funerals for the family.😢 Mymy was her primary caretaker. They’re together now, dancing in heaven.
I posted this video Saturday night, not knowing it would reach so many people.
The little boy’s parents saw it and contacted me. They told me his name is Lorenzo. He’s 9. When he yelled “Run!”, he was telling me to run.
Thank you for looking out for me, sweet boy. 🥺
@wfaa
When I arrived at the Allen Premium Outlets, I captured this.
The look on that child’s face… I can’t shake.
8 people were shot and killed.
There are 7 more injured at the hospital.
@wfaa
Allen, Collin County, TX
Spent my
#4thofJuly
shooting & editing the story of a a rom-com captured by
@roseybeeme
. 😂 It was love at first flight! Check out her thread. The story aired at 6 tonight
@wfaa
. I’ll have the video posted shortly!
R2-D2 in line to say goodbye to his dear friend, Chewbacca.
Peter Mayhew would have been at Fan Expo Dallas this weekend.
So many were looking forward to seeing their childhood hero & fellow Texan.
Rest In Peace.
@wfaa
#Chewbecca
#PeterMayhew
@starwars
#r2d2
@FANEXPODallas
WOW.
Jacksboro ISD superintendent sent me these surveillance videos from the elementary & high school when the EF-3 tornado hit last week.
You can see Principal Qualls running down the hallway, barely escaping as the ceiling came crashing down behind him.
@wfaa
@WFAADaybreak
#BREAKING
Dozens more law enforcement agencies, many in SWAT gear arrived in Celina off Greenway &CR 52.
Mayor says Celina schools are on lockdown. He’s asking residents to stay vigilant and inside if you’re close to the area as they continue to search for the suspect.
@wfaa
I know there’s a lot going on in the world, but this is the # 1 person on my mind.
Please send love, prayers, thoughts, whatever you do for hope & positivity to my grandma.
She’s 98 in a Cali hospital, which I won’t risk bringing any germs to. Thankful for Facetime kisses.
We have confirmed - parents Kyu and Cindy Cho died in the Allen Premium Outlets mass shooting.
Their 3-year-old baby, James, died too.
Their son, William, was injured and the only one who survived.
Their church started a GoFundMe for the family.
@wfaa
My husband (Yes!!! Husband!) knows me well. As my wedding gift he got us 2 tickets to the
@Warriors
last regular season home game!!! This makes coming back from our Hawaii honeymoon a little easier. :)
#dubnation
Tarrant County just updated election numbers.
This isn't the final count, and it doesn't impact Trump's win in Texas, but it is still interesting.
VP Joe Biden has now taken the lead in Tarrant County, ahead of President Donald Trump by 427 votes.
@wfaa
#votetexas
#wfaa
Today was trash day at Aunt Mymy’s house.
Cousin said the sanitation worker asked about her. He saw a victim photo, hoping it wasn’t her. 😞
Aunty used to run out on trash day to make sure he had something to drink.
Her everyday impact.
Spread Mymy’s kindness.
#MontereyPark
The real trophy is in OKC, but... AH!!! My 1st Emmy Award!!! 🏆
Video Journalist Craft Category - Helping Haiti: 8 Years After The Quake 🇭🇹
@NEWS9
@HeartlandEmmy
#heartlandemmy
I needed this moment
on top of an empty parking garage
to breathe
and have gratitude.
I needed for one moment
to wipe away threats people have thrown my way
for being Asian
for being a journalist
for being a human being.
Thank you, Dallas skyline.
I needed you tonight.
People get so angry at the airport.
I get it.
I had 2 flights cancelled tonight.
I may not reach my destination.
But there is no need to be rude to the people who are working for the airport or airlines.
Thank them. Be kind. You’ll be ok.
@SouthwestAir
@DallasLoveField
@wfaa
This is Zion.
He is Atatiana Jefferson’s nephew, in the room when his aunt was shot and killed by a Fort Worth Police Officer on October 12, 2019.
He is at today’s protest in Royce City.
@wfaa
#BlackLivesMatter
"I'm just glad that I was home to catch it."
After seeing a discriminatory question on her 6th grade sister's virtual test, Joy Lim isn't letting it go unreported like many incidents of Asian hate.
@wfaa
@joyjuheelim
#StopAsianHate
#StopAAPIHate
@aaja
It’s been emotional, but important for my husband’s family to share Aunt Mymy’s story.
But for now, the ask is no more interviews as they plan her funeral.
I can answer questions on behalf of the family, but please give them the space to heal. ❤️🩹
#MontereyPark
I feel very weary about airing & posting this story.
It's personal & made me feel vulnerable... which is uncomfortable if I'm being honest.
But sometimes that's okay.
I made a last-minute trip home to be with my family, and this is my travel experience.
@wfaa
Old pic. New milestone!
It’s been 2 years since I started at
@wfaa
.
Happy anniversary to us!
For the 1st time in my career, I renewed a contract with the same station. That’s a big deal for me!
Happy to announce I’ll be telling stories in the DFW area for another 2 years.
#UPDATE
2 women are dead and a 2-year-old baby is in stable condition after being shot at a dorm at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
The campus is secure at this time and the shelter in place has been lifted.
University president and police both made brief statements.
@wfaa
I don’t know life without her. And I wish I didn’t have to. 😢 But I’m so at peace knowing she was ready, surrounded by so many of her kids and grandkids. This is exactly what my grandma would have wanted.
I love you, Ama. I will always carry your unwavering strength. 圓滿的結局
3 teachers on leave at Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD for “inappropriate language about Asian Americans”.
Sister of a Blalack MS student says this is what her 12yo sister saw on her social studies test.
Details at 6pm
@wfaa
.
@StopAAPIHate
@aaja
#StopAsianHate
@joyjuheelim
This is Paul Timothy Willis.
He was killed last night in a Fort Worth mass shooting. 11 people were shot and 3 died after Comofest.
His mom brought flowers and sat next to the blood-stained concrete where he died.
Paul was 18, goofy, hard-working, a big brother, a son.
@wfaa
#BREAKING
heartbreaking update… Arlington Chief Jones tells us the male student shot at Lamar High School has died.
The shooter, a juvenile, is being charged with capital murder. Other charges may follow. He has been arrested.
@wfaa
@WFAADaybreak
We took this picture this morning.
She is why I flew home for 24 hours. Every minute, every mask, every precaution is worth seeing her smile in person.
She’s 99, fiesty and strong.
Keep fighting, grandma.
I never want to let go.
I told myself... find a man who will patiently let you set up a tripod in the desert mid-hike... multiple times... and take photos with you.
He’s a keeper.😏
After
1 month off
10 days in the hospital
Multiple days in the ICU
20 pound lost
Battling
#COVID19
& pneumonia...
Dallas Police Officer Kevin Thomas has fully recovered and is back at work today!
His family released balloons at the start of his shift. 🎈
@wfaa
@DallasPD
It’s a beautiful Saturday in Dallas. 💙
A mother’s unconditional love for Dallas Police Officer Kevin Thomas.
Cheryl spent all morning inflating balloons to celebrate her son’s return to work after a tough battle with COVID-19. He is her hero.
@wfaa
#COVID19
@DallasPD
We’re having an employee dessert contest
@wfaa
! YAH!!! I love some tasty competition.
Also... my first time using fondant/baking a layered cake. 😭 So difficult!!!
#MMJane
#TVNewsWomen
When your photographer knows sometimes… a gal just needs giant chocolates and a box of tissues at 4am.
I cherish this friendship,
@tvtomee
.
@wfaa
@WFAADaybreak
We are in southeast Texas for Imelda flood coverage.
There is one confirmed death. The family tells Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office — Hunter Morris went out to move his horse, got electrocuted, and drowned.
Please shelter in place.
@wfaa
Growing up, 2nd place wasn’t good enough. But this made me smile when I opened it in the mail. 🙂
🎥 I love being a video journalist - new people, new stories, new challenges every day. Much to learn!
Thank you to the judges who liked my story. I am so humbled.
@NPPA
@wfaa
100 years
She was sold as a child, lived thru World War II and the invasion, ran a motorcycle business in Taiwan, had 9 children, and moved to America where she was surrounded by countless grandkids.
I love you to no end, ama.
Boundless life and light
阿彌陀佛 ēmítuófó
WARNING ⚠️ some explicit language in this video.
During the storms, a crane blew over into a Downtown Dallas apartment complex.
Video credit: Josh Whitaker
@wfaa
#wfaaweather
#wfaawx
Eric Martinez rode out the tornado in his car at Cary Middle School’s parking lot.
He saw a parked police car fly across the lot, debris was flying toward him, all his windows broke in, but not a scratch on Eric’s body.
@wfaa
@wfaaweather
#DallasTornado
#tornado
Pre-pandemic photo!
I won an Emmy tonight with one of my best friends!!!
@mdoporto2
We spent months working on our “Fighting Fires and Cancer” series, and really saw the impact it made.
So grateful to the firefighters who shared their stories with us.
@wfaa
The latest out of Collin County:
20,000 voted first half of
#electionday
50,000 expected by end of day
31,000+ mail in ballots as of Monday
3,000 processing
420,000+ early voted
649,000 registered voters
On target for record breaking 77% voter turnout.
@wfaa
#wfaa
#votetexas
“They stole her life.”
Brandoniya Bennett was 9.
The gunshots hit the wrong home.
Hit little Niya.
Innocent.
Unfair.
When her mom & grandma hugged me, I felt how much they love Brandoniya. I promised to share their baby’s memory.
@wfaa
Déjà vu.
Same blue-white crosses.
One year apart.
May 2023 - 8 in Allen, TX
May 2022 - 21 in Uvalde, TX
I wish we didn’t have to see any more.
@wfaa
@WFAADaybreak
AT ALLEN PREMIUM OUTLETS
Reported shooting.
People coming out of with their hands up. About five minutes ago we heard a bang and customers started running toward where I’m standing.
Fluid situation.
Will update as we get more info.
@wfaa
Plano ISD board voted 6 in favor, 1 opposed to a temporary mask mandate.
Masks will be required in the district buildings and transportation.
Exemptions allowed for religious, philosophical, medical and administrative reasons.
@wfaa
We knew children died.
And now the confirmation:
4th grader Daniela Mendoza
and
2nd grader Sofia Mendoza died in the Allen Premium Outlets mass shooting.
Their mom, Ilda, is critically injured.
From Wylie ISD - they went to Cox Elementary.
@wfaa
WFAA Photojournalists team pic turned into a maternity shoot with 17 of my son’s most talented uncles. 😂
Seriously can’t wait to see how it turns out. 📸
@WFAADaybreak
@wfaa
This daytime drone shot really shows what the fire did to the old Ambassador Hotel in Dallas. It will be demolished once everything is out.
More than 100 firefighters have been working since 1:30 this morning.
Drone pilot:
@tvtomee
@wfaa
@DallasFireRes_q
A big moment for Fort Worth man John Nolley. He is officially exonerated. His name is cleared from a murder conviction after 2 decades. Look at that huge smile on his face as he holds his new baby.
Nolley spent 19 years behind bars, but is now a free man.
@wfaa
I just saw something so beautiful.
A double rainbow!🌈🌈
It’s been a hard week for so many ppl in the country, the world.
On top of that, a lot of dark gloomy weather in the DFW area.
I hope this picture makes you feel joy, luck, that things will be better again.
@wfaa
Show grace to airline employees.
I hear a lot of angriness at the counter as we wait for word on our flight.
No one wants to be stuck at an airport on Christmas, but the delays and cancellations aren’t their fault. They are away from their families today too. 💙
Update:
Owner of Salon A La Mode, Shelley Luther, says she has been issued a cease and desist letter from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, ordering her to shut down.
She still plans to stay open.
@wfaa
#covid19
Cancer took him too soon, but I bet he’s in heaven playin’ pickup with Kobe. 💜🤍💛
Rest In Peace to my father-in-law.
I will always take care of and love your son.
4 years at
@wfaa
.
I’ve been privileged to tell hundreds, at this point more than a thousand, stories in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Thank you to everyone who has trusted me with their most personal moments, and welcomed me into their lives and homes.
@WFAADaybreak
Look what was hand-delivered to work! My very 1st Emmy.🏆
This will always remind me of the ppl I met in Haiti, generous Oklahomans & incredible heart of Mission Direct Haiti. Can’t wait to go back & see the school being built in Traveaux.
@heartlandemmy
@news9
#heartlandemmy
A smile on her face, applause by fellow firefighters, Ofc Pauline Perez was discharged from the hospital.
She's 1 of 3 critically injured in the apartment explosion on 9/29.
Cpt. Gadomski & DE Ron Hall are still hospitalized.
(1/2)
@wfaa
@WFAADaybreak
@DallasFireRes_q
@DFFA58
It’s tough to say bye, so instead I’ll say thank you. My last day at
@NEWS9
is next Thursday. It’s been 2 incredible years & I’m grateful for all of you who let me tell your stories, for inviting me into your living rooms every night! Thank you for helping me grow in my career.
Thinking of Aunt Mymy as I cover the aftermath of another mass shooting.
It took our family nearly 24 hours before we got the call confirming her death.
This pain is fresh for families who lost someone in the Allen outlet mass shooting.
I wish I could take their hurt away.
This is Toki & her son Marcus. They own
@7eleven
on Eldorado in McKinney, TX.
During the ice storm, they stayed open, even picked up employees to get them here safely.
Today, they let us set up live shots under their awning to stay dry. Such a kind family! 🥹
@wfaa
@WFAADaybreak
Spreading carbon monoxide awareness makes a difference. 🥺
I got this text after sharing what happened to my neighbor on Sunday. 🥲
@wfaa
#carbonmonoxide
Many reached out about my story tonight. This is the clip they’re talking about, I could hardly hold back my tears.
I hope by sharing this message, it can spread knowledge & save lives from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Safety info:
@wfaa
#weather
#dallas
President George H.W. Bush will get a record breaking flyover today in College Station. 21 aircraft flyover for the late Navy airman.
This is the aircraft that will lead the pack. It has his name and
#41
and his wife’s name displayed on the side. 💕 What a sight.
@wfaa
Brrr.
My power went out around 2am,
came back on,
then turned on & off around 20 times, then off again for 2+ hours now. 🥶
Starting to get very cold in the house.
@wfaa
#wfaaweather
#poweroutage
#breaking
#texas
#weather
Rotating outages are underway.
Residents should expect to lose power for 15-45 minutes, as Texas’s electricity grid is overwhelmed.
@wfaa
Christian LaCour was 20.
He was an on-duty security guard who died in the Allen, TX mass shooting at the outlet mall.
"He was a really sweet kid. I’m sad that he’s gone," his sister told ABC.
As we learn more, I’ll add the stories of those senselessly killed. Honor them.
@wfaa
@wfaa
#AmberGuyger
said she kneeled next to him and was rubbing his chest.
Her head is down as her 911 call was replayed. "I thought it was my apartment. I thought it was my apartment."
She said, "I shot an innocent man and he didn't deserve..."
@wfaa
#AmberGuygerTrial
#BothamJean
Rest in peace, Robert Tennerson McDaniel.
He was Fort Worth's last surviving World War II Tuskegee Airman.
It is an honor to tell your story, sir.
@wfaa
#TuskegeeAirmen
#WorldWarII