Investigators reveal more details about the gunman who killed 8 people at a Texas mall – including possible right-wing extremism

CNN — 

The second-deadliest US mass shooting of the year unfolded at a shopping mall in an affluent suburb in Texas, leaving eight victims dead and investigators probing whether the killer may have been driven by right-wing extremism.

Authorities have not yet announced a motive for why the gunman, 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, unleashed a hailstorm of bullets Saturday at Allen Premium Outlets – about 25 miles north of Dallas.

Garcia, who was killed on the scene by an Allen police officer who was on a call nearby when the shooting started, was wearing an insignia that authorities believe may be associated with extremist groups, a senior law enforcement source familiar with the investigation tells CNN.

Investigators have unearthed an extensive social media presence, including neo-Nazi and White supremacist-related posts and images that authorities believe Garcia shared online, according to the source.

The US has suffered at least 201 mass shootings within the first five months of this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The nonprofit and CNN define mass shootings as those in which four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter.

The massacre in Allen is the second-deadliest so far this year, behind the January mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, that left 11 people dead.
Among the eight killed in Allen was Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old mall security guard, whose sister Brianna Smith described as “a sweet, caring young man who was loved greatly by our family.”

LaCour was “the kind of person who would just walk into the store and everyone in the room would light up because he was there,” said Max Weiss, a mall store employee.

The attack marks the latest in an unremitting series of mass shootings that have devastated American communities – from small towns to major cities – as they gather in schools, supermarkets, parks and other public venues that are typically deemed safe.
It also comes just three days after a shooter killed one woman and wounded four others in an Atlanta medical facility and only a few weeks before Texas will mark a year since 19 children and two teachers were massacred by a gunman at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde.

In addition to an AR-15 style firearm and another weapon found with Garcia, police discovered several more weapons in his car, the law enforcement source told CNN.

Neighbors of an address matching that of Garcia’s parents told CNN that police and the FBI arrived at the home about an hour after the attack and had the street blocked off for several hours. Two neighbors said they were shocked and disturbed to learn Garcia was the shooter.“I know nothing happened on our block but it sends a chill down your spine knowing the suspect lives a few houses away,” said neighbor Moises Carreon.Garcia had been living in some form of transient lodging, according to the law enforcement source. The Dallas Morning News reported the suspect had been staying in an extended stay hotel in Dallas.

Gunman had received firearms training as guard

Garcia had worked for at least three security companies and had undergone hours of firearms proficiency training in recent years, according to a database maintained by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

None of the companies immediately responded to requests for comment.
The gunman was approved to work as a security guard in Texas from April 2016 until April 2020, when his license expired, according to his profile in the Texas Online Private Security database.

As part of his work, Garcia received Level II and Level III security training. The former covers security laws in Texas; the latter, which is required for all commissioned security officers and personal protection officers in Texas, includes firearm training and the demonstration of firearm proficiency, according to Jonah Nathan, vice president of Ranger Guard, a security guard service in Texas not affiliated with Garcia’s employers.

Garcia completed a separate firearms proficiency training course in 2018 which requires six hours of continuing education, according to the database.

Private security guards in Texas undergo background checks and are disqualified if they have committed certain crimes such as assault, burglary or sexual offenses, among others, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety website and state codes.

They are also disqualified if they have been dishonorably discharged from the US military; have been found incompetent by a court of law; or have been required to register as a sex offender. It’s unclear why Garcia’s license expired.