The former U.S. Army officer who said he witnessed the carnage of the Texas mall massacre and helped victims may have embellished his story, according to local authorities. In a statement, the Allen Police Department said there were several “discrepancies” in the account of Steven Spainhouer and that a follow-up interview determined he was “not a credible incident witness.” The department said Spainhouer, who told his story to multiple media outlets, arrived between 3:44 and 3:52 p.m.—after responders were already on site and an officer had gunned down shooter Mauricio Garcia. Police said Spainhouer also did not perform CPR or provide first aid to any of the eight victims of the shooting, nor did he move a dead mother shielding her surviving child. Spainhouer previously told media outlets that he rushed to Allen Premium Outlets after a call from his son, who worked there, and arrived to see the horrific aftermath, including a girl with “no face” and a boy covered “head to toe” in blood. Spainhouer, who has described himself as a gun owner and called for change in gun laws after the massacre, wrote on Facebook he was “hurt and disappointed” by the police’s statement and insisted he told the truth. Allen police have yet to respond to Spainhouer’s follow-up statement.
