According to two senior law enforcement officials who spoke with FOX3, the suspected neo-Nazi sympathizer responsible for killing at least eight people and injuring several others in a shooting at a Dallas-area outlet mall on Saturday has been identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia.
After the violent incident took place, Garcia was confronted and killed by a police officer who happened to be present at the Allen Premium Outlets, located approximately 25 miles north of Dallas.
As per one of the senior law enforcement officials, Mauricio Garcia, a Dallas resident, was equipped with a tactical vest and armed with both a rifle and a handgun during the shooting at the outlet mall.
Additionally, more weapons and ammunition were discovered in his car.
The same official further stated that Garcia had multiple social media accounts and seemed to be attracted to neo-Nazi and white supremacist material.
Moreover, at the time of his death, Garcia was wearing a patch with a right-wing acronym on his chest.
However, the officials emphasized that it is premature to attribute a motive to the mass shooting as the investigation is still in its early stages.
This incident marked the second deadliest mass shooting in the United States this year and the second to take place in Texas in just over a week.
A neighbor of the suspect, who wished to be identified only as Julie, shared that she would observe Garcia’s daily routine of going to and returning from work at the same time every day.
Julie recalled that while Mauricio Garcia attempted to acknowledge them, he appeared somewhat distant, and conversation with him was difficult. She was shocked to hear that Garcia was responsible for the mall shooting.
“I was completely taken aback,” she stated. Meanwhile, Gilda Bailey, another neighbor, discovered three police squad cars parked outside Garcia’s residence upon returning home.
She observed that law enforcement officials would not permit the gunman’s family members to enter the premises and later witnessed the FBI removing certain items from Garcia’s home.
Bailey expressed her confusion over what might have caused Garcia to commit such a heinous act.
Living in close proximity to a suspected mass murderer was disturbing for another neighbor, who stated that the idea of living just a few houses away from someone capable of such a crime could be unsettling and make one more cautious.
“I don’t understand why anyone would want to shoot innocent people for any reason,” said Moises Carreon, 52.
Texas Outlet mall shooter Mauricio Garcia had “white supremacist or neo-Nazi” motivations