Texas Mall Shooting Suspect Revealed; Greg Abbott, Joe Biden React

The suspect in the Texas mall shooting, which has left the nation in mourning as eight people were killed and seven others were injured, has been identified.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott and President Joe Biden reacted differently to this tragedy that happened on Saturday at Allen Premium Outlets.

Abbott appeared on "Fox News Sunday" and blamed it on the lack of mental health treatment and called for more prayers. He pointed out that such mass shootings also happen in states with stricter gun control laws.

"What we've seen across the United States over the past year or two... is an increased number of shootings in both red states and blue states. Shannon, we've seen an increased number of shootings in states with easy gun laws as well as states with very strict gun laws," the Republican governor told host Shannon Bream, according to ABC News.

However, data shows that red states that vote heavily on Republicans and are against gun control, such as Texas, have much higher gun deaths than blue states run by Democrats, which have tighter gun control laws, Forbes reported.

On the other hand, Biden has pointed out that the shootings were done by a man who used an assault-style weapon. He then renewed his calls to ban such weapons and more legislative changes.

"Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts," the president said.

"More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence," he added.

Texas Mall Shooting Suspect Identified

According to CBS News Texas, the gunman has been identified as Mauricio Garcia. The 33-year-old gunman was initially mistaken for his younger brother, Christian Garcia, who has a lengthy criminal record.

Police and FBI agents searched the home of the suspected gunman's parents in Dallas early Sunday. They also searched a nearby Extended Stay where he had recently been living.

Some neighbors of his parents told CBS News Texas that Garcia lived for years in his parents' home, and they would see him come and go to work dressed in a uniform similar to a security guard's.

Police said the suspect reportedly had no serious criminal record. This latest Texas mall shooting is already the 242nd mass shooting in the United States this year. Seven people are still hospitalized, including a 5-year-old child.

Man Who Witnessed Texas Mall Shooting Speaks Up

Steven Spainhouer, who rushed to save those who were dying right after the shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets started at around 3:36 p.m, spoke with CBS Texas and said the victims had horrific injuries and that they had to be loaded into police cars as ambulances would not have been able to take them to trauma centers fast enough.

He was asked if he thought he had saved any lives, and Spainhouer noted that he was not sure but confirmed that three of the people he tried to save had died.

"When the multiple shots happened, my heart just dropped," he told the outlet. "I was on the phone with 911 and I was telling them we have a mass casualty incident."

Police believe that the suspect acted alone, but his motive remains unknown at this time.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Video Captures Gunfire During Allen, Texas, Mall Shooting - From CNN