Investigators examine Texas gunman’s white-supremacist views after 8 killed
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After Saturday’s shooting at a mall in Allen, Texas, the United States has recorded 22 mass killings, which collectively have resulted in at least 115 deaths, according to a database tracking mass killings
Shoppers recall the horror of another mass killing just days after another event where multiple people were shot
The gunman who opened fire on an outlet mall in a Dallas suburb on Saturday, killing at least eight people, had an apparent fascination with white-supremacist or neo-Nazi beliefs that are now being examined by investigators as a possible motive for the attack, people familiar with the investigation said Sunday.
Mauricio Garcia, a 33-year-old Dallas resident, had multiple weapons on him and five additional guns in his car nearby, said people familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing probe.
Authorities have not released a motive, but a patch on the shooter’s chest said “RWDS,” an initialism that stands for Right Wing Death Squad, according to people familiar with the investigation. The phrase is popular among right-wing extremists, neo-Nazis and white supremacists, they said, and while there is still a great deal of evidence to analyze, and authorities have not reached any conclusions yet, investigators are approaching the shooting as a possible hate crime.
The shooter also injured at least seven people before a police officer who happened to be at the mall on an unrelated call fatally shot him at about 3:30 p.m., Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said Saturday. Authorities believe that the gunman acted alone and that there were no further threats, Harvey said during a news briefing.
Last year, Texas had the most mass killings by gun of any state, with six. This year it has already had three.
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