The gunman in the Texas mall shooting had eight legally obtained weapons – three on him, five in his vehicle – when he launched an attack last weekend that left eight people dead and seven injured despite lasting only 3-4 minutes before he was killed by a police officer, authorities said in a news conference Tuesday.
Hank Sibley, regional director for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia had no previous criminal history. Sibley also confirmed reports that Garcia espoused neo-Nazi ideology, but said a motive for his assault at the Allen Premium Outlets outdoors mall Saturday has not been determined.
“Why did he do this? … We don’t know,’’ Sibley said, before adding, “To me it looks like he targeted the location rather than a specific group of people. He was very random in the people he killed. It didn’t matter the age, same race or sex. He just shot people, which is horrific in itself.’’
Garcia researched when the mall was busiest – Saturday afternoons – and posted photos on social media in mid-April of a store near where he ultimately started his attack. Among the dead were a couple and their 3-year-old son, two sisters who were in elementary school and a young engineer from India.
An Associated Press review of Garcia’s online activity shows he had a fascination with white supremacy and mass shootings, which he described as sport.
Sibley acknowledged the accuracy of media reports that Garcia started basic training in the Army in 2008 but did not complete it. “There were some questions about his fitness for duty,’’ said Sibley, who also said Garcia had obtained a private security license but it was expired and he had not worked in the field for quite a while.
A deeper look at shopping mall shooting in Allen, Texas, second-deadliest in 2023
Developments:
∙ The Cho family, which lost three of its four members in the shooting, is Korean American. The New York Times says the region has become a “magnet for Asians, especially South Asians, many of them professionals” who work for large corporations based in nearby Plano and Frisco.
∙ The Wylie School District sent a letter to parents confirming the deaths of sisters Sofia and Daniela Mendoza, who both attended Cox Elementary School. The district also said their mother, Ilda, was critically wounded.
Victims’ names emerge in Texas mall massacre; killer’s racist links probed: Updates
‘Stellar’ response from security forces saved lives
Amid the horror and chaos of Saturday’s shooting, two men stood out for their bravery.
At Tuesday’s news conference, Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey commended the officer who, while on an unrelated call, responded to the sound of gunshots, confronted the attacker and killed him. Harvey also lauded mall security guard Christian LaCour, “who evacuated one individual to safety and was shot while courageously remaining to help others.”
LaCour was among the eight people killed in the assault.
Harvey said the officer who stopped Garcia “distinguished himself in an exemplary manner” and was worthy of being honored by the community, but declined to reveal his name because the investigation is ongoing and the officer prefers to remain anonymous while processing the events.
Sibley said the officer “saved countless lives” and called the overall law enforcement response “stellar.”
‘A child left behind’: Community rallies behind orphaned boy
The eight people killed in a Texas shooting spree last week include three members of a family of four, leaving a wounded 6-year-old an orphan.
Kyu Song Cho, 37, Cindy Cho, 35, and James Cho, 3, were killed Saturday outside the Allen Premium Outlets mall near Dallas. William Cho, 6, was wounded and spent time in intensive care.
“We are so grateful for the diligent care provided by the hospital staff and for the network of friends and family helping us care for William and spending time with him,” William’s extended family said in an update posted Tuesday on a GoFundMe page set up by family friends.
The fundraiser sought $50,000; in one day the total had reached more than $1.4 million.
Meanwhile, Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas, also released a video message Monday afternoon acknowledging the family was among the school community.
“This wonderful, sweet family, three of the four now in heaven and a child left behind,” said Senior Pastor Jack Graham, who revealed that his own father was the victim of a brutal murder. “We are going to keep loving and serving this family. We are going to be present in their lives.”
Investigators explore killer’s link to white supremacy
Federal agents have been reviewing social media accounts they believe were used by the gunman, identified as Mauricio Garcia, 33. Dozens of social media posts suggest Garcia had an affinity with white supremacist views and influencers, according to multiple experts’ research.
A review of some posts, provided to USA TODAY by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, found references to the Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website, and various expressions of race-based hatred. Garcia, gunned down by an officer who responded to the sounds of gunfire at the outdoor mall, was wearing a patch that read “RWDS” – short for “Right Wing Death Squad.” The phrase has been embraced in recent years by far-right extremists who glorify violence against their political enemies.
Contributing: Terry Collins, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
