Mauricio Garcia, who was discharged from the US army in 2008, reportedly also had Nazi tattoos on his body. The gunman who killed eight people and wounded seven others at a suburban Dallas shopping mall had no prior criminal record but had “neo-Nazi ideation”, authorities said on Tuesday. Investigators are still trying to determine why Mauricio Garcia opened fire on Saturday at the Allen Premium Outlets, Hank Sibley, the regional director of the Texas department of public safety, said at a news conference. US on track to set record in 2023 for mass killings after series of shootings Read more Garcia, 33, researched when the mall in Allen was busiest – Saturday afternoons – and posted photos on social media in mid-April of a store near where he ultimately started his attack, which ended with police killing him. Among the dead were two elementary school-age sisters, a couple and their three-year-old son, and a security guard. An Associated Press review of online activity showed Garcia also betrayed a fascination with white supremacy and mass shootings, which he described as sport. Photos Garcia posted showed large Nazi tattoos on his arm and torso, including a swastika and the SS lightning bolt logo of Hitler’s paramilitary forces. The online statements have contributed to an emerging picture of Garcia. He was discharged from the US army in 2008 because of mental health issues and apparently had been working as a security guard, according to neighbors and an army official. Aric Toler, director of training and research at the international research collective bellingcat.com, said he identified Garcia’s profile on the site OK.RU by searching for active accounts with his birthdate located in the US. The AP independently verified the account, which also featured an image of a traffic ticket with Garcia’s name and birthdate as well as paperwork from a motel where he stayed before the shooting.
via guardian: Texas gunman who killed eight had ‘neo-Nazi’ ideation, say officials