Texas Mall Shooting: Where Did Suspect Get All His 8 Guns?
The Department of Public Safety revealed that the alleged Texas mall shooting suspect, Mauricio Garcia ,had no criminal record and had legally acquired all eight firearms he reportedly wielded on a fateful day, according to DPS Regional Director Hank Sibley. Garcia killed eight people in Allen Premium Outlets Saturday afternoon.
The firearms, comprising three found on Garcia's person and five others in his vehicle, are presently undergoing forensic tests to ascertain any links to prior crimes, according to Fox News.
Meanwhile, Martha Constant, an employee of Target Master Gun Store in Garland, disclosed that Garcia tried to purchase three firearms in 2021. However, due to delays in the supply chain, the weapons never arrived.
"He tried to get a Beretta 92FS, a SIG 226, and a Kalashnikov rifle," she recalled. "And all three of them got refunded in February of this year."
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Texas Shooting Suspect's Motive Might Be Driven by Extremist Ideologies
Disturbing details have emerged about the alleged shooter's possible extremist leanings, per CNN.
While the attacker's motivation is yet to be determined, investigators are exploring the possibility that he was fueled by extremist ideologies.
Online, the shooter had a troubling preoccupation with Nazism, firearms, and previous mass shootings. Moreover, a source familiar with the probe revealed that upon inspecting Garcia's body, authorities came across an emblem that they suspect may be affiliated with extremist groups.
Further investigation has reportedly led detectives to a photograph posted on the Russian social media platform, Odnoklassniki, which investigators believe features the shooter's insignia.
Weeks ahead of the Texas Mall shooting, the alleged suspect shared a photo of the mall alongside writings endorsing Nazi ideology and even shared a Google Maps screenshot highlighting the mall's busiest hours.
The shooter's online presence also featured antisemitic rants, gun imagery, and a person, allegedly Garcia, with an enormous swastika tattoo on his chest.
The seriousness of these findings has led a law enforcement official to urge further investigation, citing a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the shooter's history.
The Texas Mall Shooting
The Texas mall shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets began at approximately 3:36 p.m., and a witness named Steven Spainhouer said that the victims had horrific injuries and had to be loaded into police cars because ambulances could not transport them to trauma centers fast enough.
Spainhouer said he was not sure if he had saved any lives, but he did confirm that three of the victims he had tried to save had passed away.
There were three Korean-Americans who were verified to be among the dead.
Chu Kyu Song, 37, and his wife, Kang Shin Young, 35, were shot and died, along with one of their children.
A six-year-old kid, according to a GoFundMe site for the family, was released from the intensive care unit and is the lone survivor of the incident.
At least seven other people were injured before an Allen police officer who had responded to an unrelated incident shot and killed Garcia.
In addition to the Chos, Daniela and Sofia Mendoza, two sisters, were also killed. Both had attended Wylie Independent School District elementary schools.
Elio Cumana-Rivas, 32, Aishwarya Thatikonda, 27, and a security guard called Christian LaCour were among the victims of the gruesome Texas mall shooting.
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Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: Texas mall shooting: Law enforcement gives update - From LiveNOW from FOX