Who is Mauricio Garcia? What we know so far about the Texas mall shooter
At least eight people were killed and several others injured after gunfire broke out at a mall in Allen, Texas on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
Police confirmed that the gunman was killed on the spot by a police officer, but they are currently investigating what his motive might be.
He has been credited as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia.
Here’s what we know so far about the mall shooting.
Shoppers leave with their hands up after police responded to a gunman who shot and killed eight people and wounded at least seven others at Allen Premium Outlets
The shooting took place at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, a small suburb north of Dallas, killing at least eight people.
What happened at Allen Premium Outlets?
At around 3:30 PM on May 6, 2023, gunfire erupted at Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas.
The outdoor mall has more than 120 stores.
A video posted online showed a man getting out of a silver car in the parking lot before opening fire.
Gunshots were then heard, many scrambled away from the scene, and others fell to the ground with serious or fatal injuries.
A total of eight people were killed in the shooting.
Six of them died on the spot, including the gunman, who was killed by an officer.
Two other people were rushed to hospital but succumbed to their injuries and died.
Other aerial photos show the mass evacuation that occurred as police reportedly swept each store to assess their safety, with hundreds of shoppers running away from the H&M location where the bodies were seen
How many victims were there?
A total of eight people died after the shooting in Allen, Texas.
The gunman also died at the scene after being neutralized by a police officer.
But there were several others who were taken to hospital with injuries after the gunman opened fire.
Significantly, some of the victims were children.
A Medical City Healthcare spokesman said those injured ranged in age from 5 to 61.
The identities of the victims are currently unknown.
The gunman, dressed in SWAT gear with a semi-automatic rifle at his side, lies dead outside another Allen store several dozen yards from the H&M
Who’s the shooter?
The shooter’s identity was revealed to be Mauricio Garcia.
He is a 33 year old who lived in Dallas, Texas.
Authorities believe he acted alone when he opened fire at the mall.
According to his neighbors in Dallas, he was known to often wear a uniform. He worked as a security guard, but it is currently unclear for whom.
The police and the FBI have raided the home in Dallas where his parents live.
He drove a gray Charger seen at the scene and was also often parked outside his parents’ home address.
Shoppers were turned away from the H&M location after the gunman opened fire near the store. He was eventually killed by a heroic cop, but the shooter had already killed eight people
What did the police say?
Details that the police have released are scarce at this time.
Their latest update read: ‘Our community mourns the shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday, May 6, which resulted in the deaths of eight victims and the suspected gunman.
As of Sunday morning, May 7, Medical City McKinney was treating four patients, one in fair condition and three in critical condition. One patient was transferred to Medical City Plano, a Level I Trauma Center, and is currently in fair condition.
“One patient has been transferred to Medical City Children’s Hospital and is doing reasonably well. A ninth patient was treated at another hospital in the region.
“The Allen Police Department is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Allen Premium Outlets on a plan to reunite individuals with vehicles left at the scene.”
What did President Biden say?
In a statement, Joe Biden said: “Yesterday, eight Americans — including children — were killed in the latest act of gun violence to devastate our nation. Jill and I pray for their families and others critically injured, and we are grateful to those responders who acted quickly and courageously to save lives.
“Yesterday, an attacker in tactical gear armed with an AR-15-style assault weapon shot innocent people in a shopping mall, and not for the first time. Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have already endured about 200 mass shootings this year, according to leading counts. More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, according to credible estimates. The leading cause of death for American children is gun violence.
‘Since I signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law and passed two dozen executive actions to stem the tide of gun violence, we’ve made some progress. States are banning assault weapons, expanding red flag laws and more – but it’s not enough. We need more action, faster to save lives.
“Too many families have empty chairs at their dining table. Republican congressmen cannot shrug their shoulders at this epidemic. Tweet thoughts and prayers are not enough.
“Again, I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and major magazines. Run universal background checks. Secure storage required. Ending immunity for arms manufacturers. I will sign it immediately. We need nothing less to keep our streets safe.”
The first shots were fired outside the H&M before the gunman was killed by an unnamed Allen officer in a burger shop a few shops away
What did witnesses see?
Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunfire through his headphones. He said, ‘It was so loud, it sounded like it was outside.
“I pray they weren’t kids, but they looked like kids,” he said.
The bodies were covered with white towels and lay over bags on the floor. “It broke me when I walked out to see that.”
Payton then saw the dead gunman’s body – that was the only one not covered, he recalled.
Another witness, Kimberly Blakey, said she and her 14-year-old daughter were among the crowd of people rushing to flee the parking lot after the gunfire began.
She said it rained “non-stop” with bullets. During the ordeal, her car was shot at while trying to escape.
Blakey told CNN, “I told my daughter to get down. I heard her pray.’
Another witness, Sheliza Ramlall, who was at the Nike store when the violence broke out, said, “I had the most horrific experience before. I was standing in line at the Nike store when suddenly people started screaming and running.
“The people in the doorway saw the man with the gun outside and raised the alarm. We all fell to the ground in line and began to crawl for shelter as we fell over each other.
“I crawled behind the counter. At that point I realized we were in good sight and thought I should get away from the front.
“When I looked at the back of the store I heard someone say ‘go back, go back’ and everyone started running at that point. An employee opened the back door and let us out. We stand by the road in shock, cry and hug each other.
Not knowing where the shooter was or what was happening on the other side was terrifying, but I wanted to get out of there, so I left the crowd and started flagging the cars to give me a ride.
An elderly woman stopped and I jumped in panic. She started telling me about the gunshots she heard and drove me to my car. I ran out of there with an elevated heart rate.
“I am grateful to our brave rescuers who stopped the shooter and helped people to safety.”