The madman who killed eight people at a Texas mall had been in the US army but got booted over mental-health problems.
Mauricio Garcia, 33 — a security guard killed by cops after opening fire at shoppers in Allen, Texas, on Saturday — served in the army in 2008 but was eventually “removed due to mental health concerns,” law-enforcement sources told local ABC 30.
It was not immediately clear what those concerns entailed, the role Garcia served in before he was dismissed or when he was tossed out.
In addition to his army training, Garcia had undergone several firearms proficiency courses in 2015 and 2018 as part of his security-guard work, according to the Texas Online Private Security database.
Garcia was approved to work as a commissioned security guard in the state from April 2016 to April 2020 and had three previous employers before his license expired.
He did not work at the Texas mall where he unleashed last week’s carnage.
Investigators have begun probing whether Garcia held neo-Nazi views after police found a patch on his chest with the acronym “RWDS,” which stands for “Right Wing Death Squad” – a popular phrase among white-supremacy groups, according to a law-enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Mauricio Garcia, 33, was fatally shot by a cop patrolling the area at the time of the shooting.
Security guard Christian LaCour was one of the victims.Kellie Smith/Facebook
Aishwarya Thatikonda was shot while shopping.
Garcia’s reported social-media accounts also appear to support white-supremacist and neo-Nazi views, the official added.
An internal e-mail being disseminated within Texas law enforcement also has revealed that police believe the shooter was an “incel,” or “involuntary celibate,” too.
“Incel” refers to a person, typically young men, who define themselves as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner and express hostility to people who can.
The Texas Department of Public Safety revealed Sunday that Garcia was the man responsible for opening fire at the Allen Premium Outlets, killing eight and wounding seven others. Those hurt range in age from 5 to 61.
Law enforcement block off the entrance to the mall over the weekend. Getty Images
Shoppers flee the outlet mall after the latest mass shooting in Texas. via REUTERS
The wounded victims remained in the hospital Sunday, with three in critical condition and four in fair condition, the Allen Police Department said.
Officials have not disclosed the names of the slain victims, though relatives of mall security guard Christian LaCour revealed he was killed during the shooting.
Family members also confirmed engineer Aishwarya Thatikonda was shot dead while shopping with a friend.
Multiple weapons were found at the scene, including an AR-15 style rifle and a handgun, officials said.
Authorities are searching a nearby motel where Garcia stayed and his parent’s Dallas-area home.