…By Judah Olanisebee for TDPel Media.
Texas Mall Shooter Identified as Neo-Nazi and Army Veteran Removed for Mental Health Concerns
Mauricio Garcia, the 33-year-old man who killed eight people and injured five others outside an H&M store at the Allen Premium Outlets in Texas, was reported to be a security guard who had been removed from the army in 2008 over mental health concerns.
The shooting occurred on Saturday afternoon, and a police officer who was responding to another call shot Garcia dead when he heard the shots.
Garcia had neo-Nazi interests, according to now-deleted social media pages, although his motive remains unconfirmed.
The patch he wore on his chest during the shooting read “RWDS,” an acronym for “Right Wing Death Squads.”
Law enforcement sources stated that Garcia had extensive firearms training and had worked as a security guard for three different companies.
Heroic Acts During the Shooting
A hero shop worker at H&M locked herself and 12 others, including several children, inside the store’s bathroom closet during the shooting, and she was later killed.
Survivors who were saved by the shop worker’s quick thinking recalled that she left them to hide while she went out to face the shooter.
A police officer who responded to the shooting ran towards Garcia and killed him.
The FBI and police raided Garcia’s Dallas home an hour after the shooting and requested a translator to speak with his family.
Eyewitness Accounts of the Shooting
Eyewitnesses recounted the horror they experienced during the shooting.
Some of the witnesses were in the Nike store, and when they saw the gunman outside, they raised the alarm.
They then dropped to the floor and started crawling, looking for a hiding place while falling over each other.
One of the witnesses crawled behind the counter and realized that they were in plain sight.
They then heard someone say, “get to the back, get to the back,” and everyone started running towards the back of the store.
An employee opened the back door and let them out.
Sheliza Ramlall, who was among the Nike store crowd, said, “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.”
Conclusion
This shooting highlights the issue of mental health concerns among veterans and the rise of neo-Nazi ideology in the US.
It is alarming that Garcia had extensive firearms training and had worked as a security guard for three different companies.
The heroic acts of the shop worker and police officer during the shooting are commendable, and their bravery is an inspiration to others.
The eyewitness accounts of the shooting reveal the fear and trauma that the victims experienced, and their experiences should remind us of the need for gun control measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.