Investigators are looking into whether the gunman who killed eight people and seven others injured Saturday at a Texas mall was motivated by violent domestic extremist ideals, according to a law enforcement source. The gunman has been identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed Sunday.
Garcia opened fire Saturday at Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, a suburb of the Dallas–Fort Worth metro area, before he was shot and killed by a police officer. The gunman is from Dallas, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
A source told CBS News senior investigative producer Pat Milton that the gunman was heavily armed and appeared to be on a mission.
The gunman used an assault-style weapon and had several rounds of ammunition on his person and was wearing armored ballistic gear, the source said. Investigators are currently combing through the suspect’s social media and online accounts for clues to whether he may have had ties to violent extremists and like-minded individuals. Investigators are also looking into possible affiliations he may have had with prison gangs and cartel members.
Two sources also confirmed to CBS News that the shooter had a patch on his clothing with the letters “RWDS,” which stands for “Right Wing Death Squad,” believed to be a right-wing neo-Nazi group.
Garcia was living in a motel and working as a security guard at the time of the shooting, sources said CBS Texas. He had no serious criminal record. Authorities raided a home Saturday night in Dallas that belonged to the gunman’s parents, sources told CBS Texas. Authorities also searched the Extended Stay motel where he had been living, according to CBS Texas.
Allen’s massacre came on the heels of a series of mass shootings in Texas and across the country in just the past few months. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who a day earlier appeared at a prayer vigil where protesters carried signs calling for gun law reforms, said at a news conference Monday morning that he will work with authorities and leaders in the area “to get to the bottom of what’s going on.”
“One thing I do know is that the people of Allen, but especially the families [of the shooting victims], they want to know now why this happened, how it happened. And investigators were unable to provide details at that time,” Abbott told reporters.
“I think in the coming days, the public will be much better informed about why and how this happened,” he added. “And that will inform us as leaders in Texas about the next steps to take to try to prevent crimes like this from happening in the future.”
At a press conference Saturday night, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd told reporters that six victims were pronounced dead at the scene and nine others were rushed to hospitals by paramedics locals Two of those taken to the hospital later died, Boyd said.
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Janet St. James, a spokesman for Medical City Healthcare, told CBS News on Saturday that its trauma facilities had received at least eight gunshot victims ranging in age from 5 to 61. In an update on Sunday, Medical City Healthcare said three patients are in critical condition and three are in fair condition.
One of the victims was Christian LaCour, 20, who was on duty as a security guard at the mall when he was killed.
The Allen Police Department confirmed that none of the dead or injured are Mexican nationals, the Consulate General of Mexico in Dallas saidHe added, “We deeply regret this tragic shooting that is grieving North Texas, and we extend our condolences to the families of the victims.”
President Biden on Sunday ordered all flags at the White House and on public buildings and grounds to be flown at half-staff “as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence.”
When a poll came out showing that more than 80% of respondents were in favor of gun reforms, Texas Governor Greg Abbott he told Fox News on Sunday that the state was working to address the “root cause” of the anger and violence facing the country.
“People want a quick fix, the long-term solution here is to address the mental health issue,” Abbott said.
The Fox News poll asked respondents about reforms such as mandatory background checks, a legal purchase age of 21, mental health requirements and ways to report people who are deemed dangerous to themselves.
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