The gunman who killed eight people and injured seven others before being shot dead by police at a Texas outlet mall has been identified as Mauricio Garcia, 33, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced Sunday.
A Dallas home linked to Garcia’s parents was searched by police Saturday night following the massacre outside the Allen Premium Outlets, and officials also probed a motel where the suspected shooter had booked an extended stay, law enforcement sources told local outlet WFAA-TV.
Garcia did not have a serious criminal history and was working as a security guard, though it’s unclear where CBS News reported.
Officials are also investigating any possible ties between the suspect and radical beliefs after he was found wearing a patch on his chest that suggested white supremacist or neo-Nazi leanings, according to the Washington Post.
The FBI branch in Dallas, which is helping lead the case with the Texas Department of Public Safety, confirmed officials were searching two locations related to the suspect, but did not provide any additional information.
According to the Texas Online Private Security database, Garcia was approved to work as a commissioned security guard in the state from April 2016 to April 2020 and had three previous employers before his license expired.
Records show he received firearms proficiency training in 2015, as well as further firearms training in 2018. DPS, which maintains the database, automatically disqualifies applicants who have committed certain violent crimes.
Garcia’s neighbors told WFAA that he drove a gray Charger that was always parked in front of his parents’ home, but that they had not seen him or the car in the past few weeks.
A gray sedan was captured at the scene of Saturday’s bloodbath, where a man stepped out of the car dressed in black tactical gear and armed with an AR-15-style rifle before opening fire on shoppers in Allen, about 25 minutes north of Dallas.
Along with the rifle — which witnesses said was used to fire dozens of rounds — police found more weapons, including a handgun, and ammunition on the suspect and in his car, NBC News reported.
What we know about Texas mall shooter Mauricio Garcia
The gunman who killed eight people and injured seven others before being shot dead by police at a Texas outlet mall has been identified as Mauricio Garcia, 33.
A look into Garcia’s past revealed:
- He served in the Army in 2008 but was eventually “removed due to mental health concerns,” law enforcement sources told local ABC 30.
- Garcia had undergone several firearms proficiency courses in 2015 and 2018 as part of his security guard work
- Investigators began probing whether Garcia held neo-Nazi views after police found a patch on his chest with the acronym “RWDS,” which stands for “Right Wing Death Squad”
- Garcia also appeared to be casing his target for weeks. He shared more than two dozen photos of the outlets on extremist forums in the weeks leading up to his mass shooting, seemingly determining what would be the most packed time at the mall to unleash the greatest carnage, NBC said.
- The mass shooter alluded to his declining mental health, too. One of his final posts lamented that no psychologist would be able to fix him and his fears of what his family might say about him.
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The gunman was shot dead outside the H&M store by an officer who was patrolling the area and frantically called for backup as he rushed toward the gunfire.
Neighbors noted that they never saw Garcia armed with a weapon at his parents’ home, nor did they recall any incidents involving him.
Investigators believe the gunman acted alone, Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey has told reporters.
Dallas police could not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on any possible 911 calls previously made from or about the house, as the city is still reeling from a ransomware attack that hit its system last Wednesday.
Six of those killed outside the mall were found dead at the scene. Nine other victims were hospitalized, two of whom later died from their wounds, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said.
Officials said the wounded ranged in age from 5 to 61, with three patients reported in fair condition and three others still listed in critical condition.
