Mauricio Garcia: What we know about the North Texas outlet gunman
CNN —
The country is grieving yet again in the aftermath of a mass shooting – this time at an outlet mall in Texas after a gunman, who is suspected to have ties to White supremacist ideology, shot and killed eight people and wounded at least seven others.
Law enforcement identified Mauricio Garcia, 33, as the gunman in Saturday’s shooting in Allen – a suburb 25 miles north of Dallas.
A witness’ dashcam video shows the moment Garcia got out of his car and immediately began firing, ambushing unsuspecting employees, shoppers and families with small children.
Garcia was killed on scene by an Allen police officer who was on a call nearby when the shooting started.
Authorities have not announced a possible motive.
Here’s what we know about the gunman:
Possible ties to extremist groups
Details of the gunman’s background have begun to surface and investigators are considering whether he may have been driven by right-wing extremism, a senior law enforcement source familiar with the investigation tells CNN.
Garcia was wearing an insignia that authorities believe may be associated with extremist groups, the source said.
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.
A photo obtained by CNN shows Garcia – dressed in black and tactical gear – lying on the ground after being shot outside a Fatburger restaurant at Allen Premium Outlets. 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 Garcia had been staying in an extended-stay hotel in Dallas.
Terminated by the Army after three months
Garcia entered the Army in June 2008, but he was not given a specific job, called a military occupational specialty, Army spokesperson Heather Hagan told CNN. He was terminated after three months and did not complete basic training, according to Hagan.
The gunman was removed due to concerns about his mental health, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CNN.
Garcia was separated because of designated physical or mental health conditions, according to an Army official.
Under Army regulations at the time that Garcia was separated, a commander can approve separation of a service member for physical or mental health conditions that interfere with an assignment or performance of duty.
In his short time in the Army, he didn’t have any deployments or awards, Hagan said.
The gunman 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.
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 worked as a security guard in 2015 for Dallas-based Ruiz Protective Service, but the company’s head, Hector Ruiz, told CNN that Garcia resigned after a few months. Ruiz added that he didn’t recall any interactions with Garcia and said it’s not unusual for security guards to work short-term or bounce around between companies.
“I don’t think there was anything remarkable about this guy,” he said. “As a new employee he probably worked multiple sites. They usually just start off covering posts where people are absent or call off.”
Source: CNN
