A tragic shooting occurred on Saturday at a suburban Dallas outlet mall, resulting in at least eight deaths and seven injuries. This horrifying event, which saw severely wounded shoppers’ images circulating on social media, marked the 200th mass shooting in the U.S. for 2023. Among the survivors, three were critically injured. The shooter, who arrived in a gray Honda Accord at the Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas, was killed by a responding police officer. Police have now identified the shooter as Mauricio Garcia of Dallas, Texas.
According to Fox:
A law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that federal officials are looking into whether Mauricio Garcia was motivated by white supremacist or neo-Nazi ideologies, but did not elaborate. The federal official cautioned that the investigation is still in its early stages.
The source said federal officials were reviewing social media accounts believed to be used by Garcia to express interest in extremist views. Garcia also had a patch on his chest that read, “RWDS” – supposedly an acronym for “Right Wing Death Squad,” which is popular among far-right, the source said.
The source reportedly added that federal agents have interviewed family members and associates of Garcia to ask about his ideological beliefs.
Multiple FBI agents reported to a home in the Northeast Patrol division of Dallas, with several Dallas Police officers standing outside, according to KHOU. Multiple sources told the outlet the home is where the suspected 30-something-year-old shooter lives with his parents.
Other reports state that Garcia was part of the Texas prison gang, “Tango Blast,” after a gang affiliated tattoo was seen on his hand. A police search of his parents home will be conducted in the coming days and more details of his motive will likely emerge.
