Social Media Posts Suggest Gunman May Have Scouted Allen Outlet Mall Before Attack
Social media posts reviewed by NBC 5 Investigates raise questions about whether the gunman suspected of carrying out the attack at the Allen Premium Outlets, Mauricio Garcia, scouted the mall in the months before the shooting that killed eight people on Saturday.
The posts, on a page that appears to belong to the suspect on the Russian social networking site OK.ru, appear to show photos the suspect posted just three weeks ago of the mall parking and the outside of the H&M store where the shooting took place.
Another post shows a screenshot on a phone, displaying the mall's location information along with data indicating that Saturday afternoons at the mall are "as busy as it gets."
One post made that same day in April appears to show a pile of empty boxes of ammunition.
A senior law enforcement official tells NBC News that investigators are examining activity on that Russian site in connection to the Allen attack investigation.
Many older photos posted on the page reviewed by NBC 5 Investigates focus on purchases of guns and tactical gear.
One image shows a receipt from a DFW area gun shop, which confirmed to NBC 5 Investigates that the receipt was for deposits the shooter put down on weapons.
The store said only two of the guns were delivered. It is not clear if any of those weapons were used in the shopping mall attack, investigators have not released details about the weapons. Law enforcement sources have said the shooter carried a rifle and a handgun and that more weapons were located inside his car.
A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation tells NBC 5 authorities are examining evidence seized when state troopers and FBI agents served search warrants at a family home where the suspect lived in a Northeast Dallas neighborhood, and at a hotel along Stemmons Freeway north of downtown Dallas, where authorities say the suspect stayed in recent days.
The posts, on a page that appears to belong to the suspect on the Russian social networking site OK.ru, appear to show photos the suspect posted just three weeks ago of the mall parking and the outside of the H&M store where the shooting took place.
The official said investigators found communications devices and other personal items that may provide more clues about the suspect's thinking.
So far, the official said, the evidence suggests the shooter subscribed to a “mish-mash” of ideologies that have led investigators to treat this as a case of homegrown violent extremism, that may have been ethnically or racially motivated.
Posts on that Russian social media page viewed by NBC 5 include Nazi propaganda and rants against racial minorities and women posted in recent months.
But, officials have cautioned it may take weeks or months to gather a more complete picture of the suspect's thinking.
NBC 5 Senior Investigative Reporter Scott Friedman reports on the latest details on the man behind the Allen outlet mall shooting and what we know about the evidence investigators are gathering.
Neighbors on the Dallas street where the suspect’s family lives have said the suspect was often seen wearing what appeared to be security guard clothing.
A Dallas security company told NBC 5 it believes the shooter is the same man who worked as a security guard for that firm as recently as 2016. But, state officials did not respond to messages Monday asking to verify whether the suspect ever held a state security guard license.
Meanwhile, U.S. Army officials have confirmed the suspect joined the army in 2008 but was kicked out after just three months for a physical or mental condition.
A spokesperson said the Army could not provide more specific information -- but said the shooter did not even complete basic training before he was removed.
With the outpouring of support for the victims of the mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets, GoFundMe has launched a centralized hub for all verified fundraisers related to the shooting. The online fundraising platform said it was working around the clock to make sure that all funds donated go directly to survivors or the families of victims.
Source: NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
