Texas mall shooting: Officials probe gunman’s possible far-right links
May 8, 2023 –Federal authorities are investigating whether the gunman who killed eight people including children at a Dallas shopping mall had far-right links.
The attacker, who was shot dead at the scene by a police officer, has been named as Mauricio Garcia, aged 33.
Investigators are reviewing social media to look into his ideology, the BBC’s US partner CBS news reports.
During the attack he wore a clothing patch with the letters RWDS which stands for “Right Wing Death Squad”.
This is a phrase popular among right-wing extremists and white supremacy groups.
One line of enquiry is whether he was motivated by these ideals and whether he had links to like-minded people, a law enforcement source told CBS.
The gunman used an AR-15 style rifle and wore combat gear during the shooting, with multiple rounds of ammunition found on him.
Witnesses described scenes of panic and horror when the gunman got out of his car in a mall parking lot and began firing on shoppers.
The rampage was brought to an end by a police officer who was attending a different call and happened to be nearby.
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Six people were pronounced dead at the scene in the north Dallas suburbs, while two died later in hospital.
At least three injured victims remained in critical condition on Sunday.
