Who is Mauricio Garcia? What we know so far about the Texas mall shooter

At least eight people have died and multiple others were injured after gunfire erupted at a mall in Allen, Texas on Saturday, May 6, 2023.

Police confirmed that the gunman was killed on the scene by a police officer, but they are currently investigating what his motive could have been. 

He has been named as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia. 

Here is 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 happened at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, a small suburb north of Dallas, and saw at least eight people killed

What happened at Allen Premium Outlets?

Around 3.30pm 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, as many scrambled away from the scene and others dropped to the ground with serious or fatal wounds. 

Eight people in total died during the shooting.

Six of these died at the scene, including the gunman, who was killed by a cop.

Two other people were rushed to hospital, but succumbed to their injuries and died. 

Other aerial shooting shows the mass evacuation that transpired as cops reportedly swept each store to assess their safety, with hundreds of shoppers filed away from the H&M location where the bodies were seen

How many victims were there?

In total, eight people died following the shooting in Allen, Texas.

The gunman also died at the scene after being neutralized by a police officer.

But there were multiple others who were rushed to hospital with injuries after the gunman opened fire.

Significantly, some of the victims were children.

A spokesman for Medical City Healthcare said the injured ranged in age from 5 to 61.

The victims' identities are currently unknown. 

The gunman, dressed in SWAT gear with a semi-automatic rile at his side, is seen laying dead outside another Allen store, a few dozen feet from the H&M

Who is the gunman?

The gunman's identity was revealed as Mauricio Garcia.

He is a 33-year-old, who was living in Dallas, Texas.  

Authorities believe he was acting alone when he opened fire at the mall.

He was known to wear a uniform often, according to his neighbors in Dallas. He worked as a security guard, but it's currently unclear for who. 

Police and the FBI have raided the home in Dallas where his parents.

He drove a gray Charger, which was seen at the scene, and also was often parked outside his parents' home address. 

Investigators now believe he may have been a white supremacist or neo-Nazi, who followed extremists ideologies. 

According to the Washington Post, Garcia wore a patch on his chest which may have alluded to his ideologies - although no formal motive has been released. 

Shoppers were filed away from the H&M location after the gunman opened fire near the store. He was eventually killed by a heroic cop - however the shooter had already killed eight people 

What have police said?

Details that the police have put out are currently scant. 

Their last update read: 'Our community is grieving the shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday, May 6 which resulted in the deaths of eight victims as well as the suspected shooter.

'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 listed in fair condition. 

'One patient was transferred to Medical City Children’s Hospital and is in fair condition. A ninth patient was treated at a different area hospital.

'Allen Police Department is coordinating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Allen Premium Outlets on a plan to reunite individuals with any vehicles left at the scene.' 

What has President Biden said? 

In a statement, Joe Biden said: 'Eight Americans — including children — were killed yesterday in the latest act of gun violence to devastate our nation. Jill and I are praying for their families and for others critically injured, and we are grateful to the first responders who acted quickly and courageously to save lives. 

'Yesterday, an assailant in tactical gear armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon gunned down 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 suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts. More than 14,000 of our fellow citizens have lost their lives, credible estimates show. The leading cause of death for American kids is gun violence. 

'Since I signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law and took two dozen executive actions to stem the tide of gun violence, we have 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 dinner tables. Republican Members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough.

'Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun 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 at a burger shop a few stores away

What did witnesses see?

Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones. He said: 'It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside.

'I pray it wasn't kids, but it looked like kids,' he said. 

The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground. 'It broke me when I walked out to see that.'

Payton then saw the body of the dead shooter - which was the only one not covered, he recalled. 

Another witness, Kimberly Blakey, said she and her daughter, 14, were among the crowd of people rushing to flee the parking lot after the gunfire started.

She said the raining bullets were 'non-stop.' Her car got shot at during the ordeal as she tried to escape. 

Blakey told CNN: 'I told my daughter to get down. I could hear her start praying.' 

Another witness, Sheliza Ramlall, who was in the Nike store when the violence broke out, said: 'I had the most horrifying experience earlier. I was standing in line at the Nike store when all of a sudden people started to scream and run. 

'The people in the doorway saw the man with the gun outside and raised the alarm. All of us in line dropped to the floor and started to crawl looking for a hiding place while falling over each other. 

'I crawled behind the counter. At that moment, I realized that we were right in plain sight and and figured that I needed to get away from the front. 

'As I looked to the back of the store, I heard someone saying ‘get to the back, get to the back’ and everyone started running at that point. An employee opened the back door and let us out. We are standing by the roadside shaken, crying, and hugging each other.

'Not knowing where the gunman 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 to flag the cars down to give me a lift. 

'An elderly woman stopped and I hopped in a panic. She started to tell me about the gunshots she heard and drove me to my car. I raced out of there with an elevated heartbeat. 

'I am grateful for our brave first responders who stopped the shooter and helped the people to safety.'