Victims' names emerge; killer's racist links probed
s the names of the eight people killed in a shooting at a suburban Dallas mall emerged Monday, authorities worked to determine whether the gunman − who was kicked out of the Army after three months due to mental health issues − was motivated by white supremacist and neo-Nazi views.
Federal agents have been reviewing social media accounts they believe were used by Mauricio Garcia, 33. Dozens of social media posts suggest Garcia had an affinity with white supremacist views and influencers, according to multiple experts’ research. A review of dozens of the posts, provided to USA TODAY by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, found references to the Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website, and various expressions of race-based hatred.
The person making the posts identified himself as Mauricio, and federal agents confirmed to multiple news outlets that they were investigating accounts espousing white supremacy, which they believed belonged to him.
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Garcia's links to that ideology reportedly included social media posts as well as a patch on his chest that read “RWDS,” an acronym for the phrase “Right Wing Death Squad” that is popular among right-wing extremists and white supremacy groups.
Garcia joined the Army in 2008 but was terminated three months later without completing his initial training, Army spokeswoman Heather Hagan said without providing details. Another Army official who requested anonymity said the reason was mental health concerns.
Garcia was killed by police responding to Saturday's assault in Allen, Texas, which left seven people with injuries that required hospitalization, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said.
Developments:
∙ The attack in Allen is the year's second-deadliest in the nation. A mass shooting in January in Monterey Park, California, left 11 people dead and nine injured after that city's Lunar New Year festival.
∙ Patrick Crusius lived in Allen in 2019 before he posted a racist screed online that warned of a “Hispanic invasion” and drove to El Paso, where he opened fire at a Walmart, killing 23. Crusius, 24, pleaded guilty to federal hate crime and weapons charges in February.
What we know about the victims
The Texas Department of Public Safety identified Monday afternoon five of the eight persons killed in the Allen mall shooting, withholding the names of the other three because they were minors. Those three children have been identified by relatives or other sources.