Two senior law enforcement officials said Sunday that the suspect who killed at least eight people and wounded six others at a Dallas-area outlet mall was a 33-year-old suspected neo-Nazi sympathizer.
On Sunday, Allen police identified the gunman as Mauricio Garcia. Garcia was slain by a police officer who occurred to be at Allen Premium Outlets, approximately 25 miles north of Dallas, on Saturday, according to police.
Texas Mall Shooter Was Terminated in US Army
President Joe Biden stated that the gunman, who resided in Dallas, was equipped with an AR-15-style assault weapon. A senior law enforcement official said he was armed with a handgun. Per NBC News, additional weapons and ammunition were discovered in his car. Garcia was wearing an insignia on his chest that contained the letters "RWDS" at the time of the massacre.
One of the senior law enforcement officials added that authorities believe the letters stood for "right-wing death squad," a term used in online spaces associated with the far right.
According to two senior law enforcement officials, a preliminary assessment of what is believed to be the shooter's social media accounts reveals hundreds of posts with racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist rhetoric, including neo-Nazi and white supremacist content.
Officials emphasized that the investigation continues. The preliminary investigation revealed that none of the shooter's social media posts were appreciated or shared by other users.
Two senior law enforcement officials stated that police and the Texas Rangers, along with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, are investigating the shooting as a case of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism.
Officials believe the gunman acted alone, one of them stated. Investigators are conducting interviews with his family and associates. It was the second deadliest mass shooting in the United States in 2018 and the second in Texas within a week.
Fox News has learned that Mauricio Garcia served in the US Army for three months. Heather J. Hagan, US Army Public Affairs spokesperson, told Fox News, "Mauricio Garcia joined the regular Army in June 2008; he was terminated three months later without completing initial entrance training."
In addition, an Army official told Fox News that Garcia was discharged under Army Regulation 635-200, paragraph 5-17, "Other designated physical or mental conditions," in its 2005 edition. Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey declined to address inquiries from media entities regarding Garcia's ideology, stating, "We actually don't have much."
As investigators are still scouring through the alleged shooter's background, Texas Governor Greg Abbott avoided providing specifics when questioned on Fox News on Monday about allegations that Garcia may have been affiliated with white supremacist ideology.
The Allen Police Department reported that Medical City McKinney was treating four patients as of Sunday morning, one in fair condition and three in critical condition. One patient was transferred to Medical City Plano, a Level I Trauma Center, and their condition is presently listed as "fair."
One patient has been transferred to the Medical City Children's Hospital and is currently in satisfactory condition. According to investigators, another patient was treated at a different local facility.
Mauricio Garcia Suffered Mental Health Issues
Garcia was discharged from the US Army due to mental health issues. The 33-year-old security officer served in the Army in 2008 before being "removed due to mental health concerns," according to law enforcement sources who spoke to ABC 30.
It was not immediately obvious what these concerns were, what Garcia's function was before his dismissal, or when he was fired. According to the Texas Online Private Security database, Garcia completed multiple firearms proficiency courses in 2015 and 2018 as part of his security officer duties and his Army training.
Garcia was permitted to operate as a commissioned security officer in the state from April 2016 to April 2020, and he had three employers before his license expiration. He did not work at the Texas shopping center where he unleashed carnage last week.
The police believe the gunman was an "incel" or an "involuntary celibate," according to an internal correspondence circulating within the Texas law enforcement community.
"Incel" refers to a person, typically a young male, who cannot find a romantic or sexual partner and expresses hostility toward those who can do so.
Officials have not released the names of the deceased; however, relatives of mall security officer Christian LaCour have confirmed he was killed in the incident. According to family members, the engineer Aishwarya Thatikonda was shot and killed while shopping with a companion.
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