Allen, Texas, mall shooter had 8 guns and targeted location, authorities say
The Allen, Texas, mall shooter had three guns on him and five more in his car when he began his attack over the weekend, authorities said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Mauricio Garcia, 33, who shot and killed eight people — including three children — targeted the Allen Premium Outlets mall while people were shopping on Saturday, said Hank Sibley, regional director of the North Texas region at the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The shooter targeted the location rather than a specific group of people, Sibley said. "He just shot people," he said.
An Allen police officer who was at the mall for another reason was able to shoot and kill the gunman within 3-4 minutes, Sibley said, "saving countless lives." Authorities are not releasing the police officer's name at this time due to the ongoing investigation.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was able to trace the shooter's eight guns and found that he had purchased them legally, Sibley said.
Authorities said the shooter had no known criminal record and was "not on the radar of police at all," said Sibley.
He had an expired Texas security guard license and had worked at various firms, but hadn't worked in a while, Sibley said. Authorities wouldn't confirm whether he previously worked at the mall.
Sibley said the shooter had "neo-Nazi ideations," which authorities determined from the patches he wore and tattoos he had. The FBI has the shooter's computer and phone, and authorities said they are gathering information and digital evidence as part of the ongoing investigation.
The shooter was discharged from the Army in 2008 before completing boot camp for possible mental health reasons, Sibley said, but that didn't preclude him from purchasing firearms. "Every weapon he purchased was legal," Sibley said.