9 Dead, 7 Injured from Texas Mall Shooting

On the 6th of May, 2023, at Saturday around 3:30 PM, A gunman in Allen, Texas with an assault rifle opened fire at a mall in the area, resulting in nine deaths, including the gunman, as well as the injury of seven others.

Around this time, dashcam footage was recorded that circulated on social media, displaying the gunman who would be later identified as ” Mauricio Garcia”, 33, getting out of a grey sedan outside of the mall’s entrance and proceeding to fire at civilians passing by in the park.

Multiple gunshots could be heard in the footage as people would run away and take cover behind their cars, or inside the mall itself.

According to Allen Police, an officer was at the scene, taking an unrelated call when they heard gunshots around 3:36 PM. The officer “engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat”, police said.

Later on, law enforcement officers and medics were filling the area.

At the scene, it was announced that seven people, including the gunman, were deceased, as well as two more people passed away after being taken to the hospital.

A resident by the name of Steven Spainhouer rushed to the scene after he got a call from his son who was working at an H&M in the outlet said that there was an active shooter.

“I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first responder on the site to take care of people,” Mr. Spainhouer told CBS News.

Furthermore, Mr. Spainhouer said that he saw a multitude of deceased bodies within the area, those being several children along with the deceased. He attempted to do CPR on the victims, and at least three people succumbed to their injuries.

What was the Motive for Mauricio Garcia?

According to NBC News, Mauricio Garcia was a suspected neo-Nazi sympathizer. Furthermore, he was found wearing a patch on his chest that read “RWDS”. According to state law officials, authorities believed that it stood for “Right Wing Death Squad”, a phrase that is commonly used in far-right online spaces.

Due to this, it was speculated that Mauricio Garcia was part of a right-wing neo-Nazi group.

During the period of the shooting, Garcia was a security guard residing at a motel without a serious criminal record sources told CBS TEXAS.

“We know our neighbors…but how much do we know about our neighbors? That’s kind of the question we’ll never know.” Moises Carreon had stated, a neighbor of Mauricio Garcia. 

“It sends a chill down your spine.”