Disturbing Details Revealed About Texas Mall Shooter

UPDATE DAY

As investigators continue to search for a motive in the mass shooting that left eight people dead and at least seven others injured at a Texas mall, details about the shooter's background have begun to surface. surface, including extremist social media posts, a source told CNN.

Although Allen authorities have yet to publicly announce the motive of the shooter – identified by law enforcement as Mauricio Garcia — investigators question whether he may have been motivated by right-wing extremism, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CNN.

Garcia, 33, who was killed at the scene by an Allen police officer who was calling nearby when the shooting began, was wearing a badge that authorities believe may be associated with extremist groups, the source said. /p>

Investigators found an extensive social media presence, including posts and images related to neo-Nazis and white supremacy that authorities believe Garcia shared online, according to the source.

Garcia opened fire on Saturday afternoon at Allen Premium Outlets, where employees, shoppers and families with young children rushed to cover as he moved through the mall complex, authorities said.

Among the eight killed was Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old mall security guard, whose sister Brianna Smith described as “a sweet, caring young man who was very loved 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 employee.

L attack marks the latest in an ongoing series of mass shootings that have devastated American communities – from small towns to big cities – as they congregate in schools, supermarkets, parks and other generally public places considered safe.

It also comes just three days after a gunman killed a woman and injured four others at an Atlanta medical facility and just weeks before Texas marks one year since 19 children and two teachers were massacred. by a gunman at Robb Primary School in Uvalde.

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

Neighbors at 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 blocked the street for several hours. Two neighbors said they were shocked and disturbed to learn that Garcia was the shooter.

“I know nothing happened on our block, but it gives you a chill to know that the suspect lives a few houses away,” said neighbor Moises Carreon.

Garcia lived in a form of transitional accommodation, according to the police source. The Dallas Morning News reported that the suspect was staying at an extended-stay hotel in Dallas.

The shooter had received weapons training on fire

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

None of companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The shooter was licensed 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 job, Garcia received Level II and Level III security training. The first covers security laws in Texas; the latter, which is required for all security guards and personal protection officers in Texas, includes firearms training and demonstration of firearms proficiency, according to Jonah Nathan, vice president of Ranger Guard, a security guard service in Texas unaffiliated with Garcia's employers. .

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