Two young sisters and a three-year-old boy and his parents were among the victims of a shooting at a shopping centre near Dallas which left eight people dead.

A young engineer and a security guard were also killed in the attack at Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday which ended when suspected gunman Mauricio Garcia, 33, was fatally shot by police.

The Texas Department of Public Safety identified Kyu Song Cho, 37, and his wife Cindy Cho, 35, as two of the dead which also included their three-year-old son, whose brother was among the injured.

Cox Elementary School pupils Daniela and Sofia Mendoza were remembered as “the kindest, most thoughtful students with smiles that could light up any room,” by principal Krista Wilson in a letter to parents.

Security guard Christian LaCour, 20, was also among the dead.

Andria Gaither, assistant manager at the mall’s Tommy Hilfiger shop where he had previously worked, said he often stopped in to chat.

“I’m just in shock,” she said. “He was very young, very sweet, came in all the time to visit with us.”

Also killed was Aishwarya Thatikonda, 26, who was from Hyderabad, India, and worked as a civil engineer at Perfect General Contractors.

Company founder Srinivas Chaluvadi said she was “always prepared to give her very best”.

“She came to the United States with a dream to make a career, build a family, own a home and live forever in Dallas,” he said.

“She attended birthday parties at my home, we celebrated festivals together and we had family dinners.”

The Department of Public Safety identified the eighth victim as Elio Cumana-Rivas, 32.

Federal agents have been reviewing social media accounts they believe Garcia used, as well as posts that expressed interest in white supremacist and neo-Nazi views, according to a law official.