2023 — May 6, mass shooting, Allen Premium Outlets Mall, Allen, TX (includes gunman)–9

–9 CNN. “At least 8 killed, 7 wounded in shooting at Texas outlet mall.” 5-7-2023.
–9 Dallas Morning News. “Here’s everything we know…about the Allen mall shooting.” 5-10-2023.
–9 NBC News. “What we know about the slain Texas mall massacre suspect.” 5-7-2023.
–9 NYT. “At Least 9 Dead, Including Gunman, in Shooting at Texas Mall.” 5-7-2023.

Narrative Information

May 7, CNN: “Eight people were killed and at least seven others wounded when a gunman opened fire at an Allen, Texas, outlet mall Saturday afternoon, according to local officials. The gunman was tracked down and killed b a police officer who was already at the mall for another call, the city’s police chief said.

“The shooter has been identified as a 33-year-old man, a law enforcement source tells CNN. In addition to an AR-15 style rifle, he had at least one other weapon on his person, and more in his car, according to the source.

“Victims in the attack range in age from 5 to 61 years old. Several remain hospitalized in the Dallas area.

“Mauricio Garcia — the 33-year-old who has been identified as the gunman in the Allen, Texas, outlet mall shooting, according to a senior law enforcement source — received firearms training for part of his work as a security officer, according to an official database.

“Garcia was approved to work as a commissioned security guard in Texas from April 2016 until April 2020, when his license expired, according to the Texas Online Private Security database, maintained by the Texas Department of Public Safety. His profile shows he worked for at least three security companies. None of those companies immediately responded to requests for comment. According to the database, Garcia received Level II and Level III security training. The former covers security laws in Texas; the latter, which is required for all commissioned security officers in Texas, includes firearm training and the demonstration of firearm proficiency, according to Jonah Nathan, vice president of Ranger Guard, a security guard service in Texas not affiliated with Garcia’s employers. n 2018, Garcia also completed a separate firearms proficiency training course, which requires six hours of continuing education, according to the Texas DPS database.

“Private security guards in Texas undergo background checks and are disqualified if they have committed certain crimes, such as assault, burglary or sexual offenses, among others, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety website and state codes. They are also disqualified if they have been dishonorably discharged from the US military; have been found incompetent by a court of law; or have been required to register as a sex offender. It’s unclear why Garcia’s license expired.

“A police officer killed the gunman outside the outlet mall after he carried out the massacre Saturday, according to the Allen police chief. The shooting left at least eight people dead and seven others wounded….” (CNN. “At least 8 killed, 7 wounded in shooting at Texas outlet mall.” 5-7-2023.)

May 7, NBC News: “Dallas, Texas – The gunman who killed at least eight people and wounded a half-dozen more at a Dallas-area outlet mall was identified Sunday as a 33-year-old suspected neo-Nazi sympathizer named Mauricio Garcia, two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News. Garcia was killed after the outbreak of deadly violence Saturday by a police officer who happened to be at the Allen Premium Outlets, some 25 miles north of Dallas, police said.

“Garcia, who lived in Dallas, had a tactical vest and was armed with a rifle of some kind as well as a handgun, one of the senior law enforcement officials said. ore weapons and ammunition was found in his car, the source said. Also, the law enforcement officials said, Garcia had several social media accounts and appeared to be drawn to neo-Nazi and white supremacist content. He was also wearing, when he was killed, a patch on his chest with a right-wing acronym….” (NBC News. “What we know about the slain Texas mall massacre suspect.” 5-7-2023.)

May 10, Dallas News: “Four days have passed since a gunman opened fire at an outdoor mall in Allen, Texas. Eight people were killed. Seven were wounded.

“Over 1,000 people found themselves at or near the mall when the shooting took place, many eventually being escorted away from the property by law enforcement and having to return later to retrieve their vehicles.

“Here’s everything we know — and everything we don’t — about the attack:

“The eight were identified as:

Cho Kyu Song, 37;
Kang Shin Young, 35;
James Cho, 3;
Daniela Mendoza, 11;
Sofia Mendoza, 8;
Christian LaCour, 20;
Elio Cumana-Rivas, 32; and
Aishwarya Thatikonda, 26.

“Law enforcement Tuesday credited LaCour, a mall security guard, for escorting one person to safety before he was killed trying to help others.

“What we don’t know: The names of the wounded victims have not been released by officials. As of Wednesday morning, one patient is in critical condition, two are in fair condition and three are in good condition, according to Medical City Healthcare….

“The shooter, who was killed at the scene by an Allen police officer, was identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia. He was terminated from the U.S. Army in 2008 and did not complete initial training, officials said, but was not on law enforcement radar before the shooting. Social media posts, apparently linked to the shooter, espoused an obsession with violence and extremist ideology….

“Officials said Tuesday they have not determined the gunman’s motive, which is the focus of the investigation….

“The attack lasted 3-4 minutes….

“Video footage taken from an in-car dashboard camera shows the gunman exiting a vehicle in the parking lot of the mall. Leaving the driver door open, the gunman began shooting at shoppers in view.

“The gunman brought eight weapons to the scene, and all of them were purchased legally, officials said Tuesday. Authorities found three weapons on the gunman and five in his vehicle….The gunman…posted photographs of a Glock 48 semi-automatic handgun and a Benelli M4 semi-automatic shotgun as well as multiple boxes of ammunition. His apparent posts on a Russian social media platform showed his desire to buy certain guns, including an AK-47-style assault rifle.

“An owner for an Arizona-based body armor manufacturer, Spartan Armor System, told The News that Garcia purchased several items in 2020 including a steel armored plate. The gunman posted a photo of the sales receipt, which indicates his order included ‘trauma pads’ and ‘side plates.’ Garcia also bought items at GT distributors, a gun and tactical gear store in northeast Dallas, and he ordered a rare rifle and two handguns from a Garland gun store. The owner of the store, Targetmaster, said the guns were on back order and difficult to get and after two years of waiting, Garcia requested the return of his deposit.

“…While we have evidence of the type of guns Garcia had purchased, authorities have not identified those used in the shooting or how he acquired them — whether he bought them online, at a gun show or from a licensed firearms dealer.” (Dallas Morning News. “Here’s everything we know – and everything we don’t – about the Allen mall shooting.” 5-10-2023.)

Sources

CNN. “At least 8 killed, 7 wounded in shooting at Texas outlet mall.” 5-7-2023. Accessed 5-7-2023 at: https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/allen-texas-mall-shooting-news-05-07-23/index.html

Dallas Morning News. “Here’s everything we know – and everything we don’t – about the Allen mall shooting.” 5-10-2023. Accessed 5-11-2023 at: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2023/05/10/heres-everything-we-know-and-everything-we-dont-about-the-allen-mall-shooting/

NBC News. “What we know about the slain Texas mall massacre suspect.” 5-7-2023. Accessed 5-7-2023 at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mauricio-garcia-allen-texas-mall-shooting-suspect-what-know-rcna83242

New York Times. “At Least 9 Dead, Including Gunman, in Shooting at Texas Mall.” 5-7-2023. Accessed 5-7-2023 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/06/us/allen-mall-texas-shooting.html