The gunman who murdered eight people and wounded seven others at a shopping mall in Allen, Texas, was identified Sunday as a 33-year-old former security guard named Mauricio Garcia whose social media accounts suggested an interest in neo-Nazi ideology.
Garcia, whose family lives in nearby Dallas, was killed by a police officer responding to the carnage at the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday afternoon. He had been living in a hotel, according to several media outlets, citing law enforcement sources.
The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed the gunman’s identity more than 24 hours after the mass shooting—and a day after FBI agents swooped down on his parents’ home. His family has not commented on the massacre.
ADVERTISEMENT
It was unclear what connection, if any, Garcia had to the outlet mall and investigators did not publicly indicate a motive for the latest mass shooting to scar the nation’s psyche.
But law enforcement sources said the investigation was focused on extremism.
A patch found on his chest bore the letters “RWDS”—an acronym for Right Wing Death Squad, which has been embraced by white supremacists.
Additionally, two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News that Garcia both consumed and posted neo-Nazi and white supremacist content on the internet.
Garcia was in the U.S. Army in 2008 and was discharged over “mental health concerns,” according to WFAA. No other details were available.
Garcia was wearing a tactical vest and wielding an AR-15 when he opened fire on shoppers; photos of him dead on the ground revealed clips of extra ammunition strapped to his body, and more weapons and ammunition were found in his car.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Garcia completed firearm proficiency training in 2018 for his work as a private security officer. He was a commissioned security guard in the state from April 2016 to April 2020, when his license expired. During that time, Garcia’s profile shows that he worked for at least three security companies.
One victim has been identified so far: 20-year-old Christian LaCour, a Farmersville resident who worked as a security guard. LaCour’s death was confirmed by his sister’s mother-in-law in a Facebook post.
“Words can not even begin to describe the devastation that our family feels,” she said in the post. “[There] will forever be a void.”
Allen Mayor Kenneth Fulk acknowledged the shooting in a statement that pledged the city’s “complete support” to the victims and their families. “We know you are grieving, we are grieving,” he said. “Rest assured, the nation and the world are also grieving.”
A vigil at an Allen church will take place Sunday evening to honor the shooting victims.
