At least eight people were killed at a Dallas-area outlet mall on Saturday by a man who was a suspected neo-Nazi sympathizer.
The shooter, identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, was killed Saturday by a police officer who was present at Allen Premium Outlets, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas.
Armed with a rifle and a handgun, Garcia fatally shot eight people and wounded seven others – three of whom remain in critical condition. NBC News reports that the suspect was also wearing a tactical vest at the time of the shooting and wore a patch on his chest that included the acronym "rwds." Authorities note that the acronym stands for "right-wing death squad," a phrase used in far-right online spaces.
According to senior law enforcement officials, more weapons and munitions were found in Garcia's car. They also found the shooter's social media account, which reportedly contained hundreds of posts of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist rhetoric as well as neo-Nazi material and content supporting white supremacy.
In a post on Facebook, the police department explained that the police officer who shot Garcia had been in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m.
"The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel," it added.
According to the Associated Press, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people, including the shooter, died at the scene. Although nine victims were hospitalized, two of them died. He added that three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, while four were stable.
The investigation is ongoing.
This is the second shooting in Texas in a matter of weeks. As Christian Headlines previously reported, a man killed five people in a Cleveland, Texas neighborhood late last month before eventually being arrested by police after a four-day manhunt.
Related:
Texas Gunman Who Killed 5 Neighbors Is Arrested after 4-Day Manhunt
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Stewart F. House/Stringer
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
