Eight people were killed when a 33-year-old man opened fire on bystanders in the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday. Several of the injured are still hospitalized.
A word about America’s homicide crisis: Why?
The investigation indicates that the suspected perpetrator, who was killed by the police, had links to far-right organisations.
American police have now published the identity of the victims, and the overview shows that several of them had an Asian and Latin American background.
Six-year-old lost parents and little brother
The youngest victim was three-year-old James Cho, who was killed along with his parents. James’ six-year-old brother was wounded but survived. The family had South Korean roots.
An overview of the memorial site and shopping center where eight people, including three small children, were killed on Saturday. Photo: Tony Gutierrez / AP / NTB
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Two sisters who were in the second and fourth grades – Daniela and Sofia Mendoza – were also killed. Their mother was critically injured and is hospitalized.
A 27-year-old engineer from India is also on the list of those killed, as well as a 20-year-old who worked as a security guard at the shopping centre.
The last victim to be identified was a 32-year-old man from Dallas.
Dismal murder figures are frightening
The attack happened in Allen, which is one of the most multicultural suburbs in the Dallas area.
Far-right ideology
During the attack, the suspected perpetrator – Mauricio Garcia – wore uniform-like clothing and a badge with the letters RWDS, short for “Right Wing Death Squad”.
The brand is popular in far-right groups.
A memorial site has been created for the victims outside the shopping centre. Several have stopped here to pay their last respects to the victims. Photo: Tony Gutierrez / AP / NTB
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The police are now searching for the traces he has left in social media.
Posts that Garcia has shared on social media also indicate that he was preoccupied with Nazi ideology, the white power movement, weapons and mass shootings.
Much of the activity has taken place on an account on a Russian platform called Odnoklassniki.
– Cannot be fixed by a psychologist
A post published the same day as the mass shooting includes quotes from the TV series “South Park” and other movies and TV shows, suggesting he also had mental health issues, according to CNN.
A memorial site has been created for the victims outside the shopping centre. Several have stopped here to pay their last respects to the victims. Photo: Tony Gutierrez / AP / NTB
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– Even if I had gone to a psychologist, they wouldn’t be able to fix whatever is wrong with me. In addition, it is hellishly expensive, reads the text.
The account also includes photos of Garcia shirtless with a large swastika tattooed on his chest.
Garcia was kicked out of the military in 2008 after just three months of training due to mental health issues, according to an unnamed US military source.
At the busiest
In mid-April, Garcia posted photos of a store near where he launched the attack. It could indicate that he has been planning the attack for weeks.
Other findings indicate that Garcia had conducted searches to determine when the mall would be at its busiest. The attack was carried out on Saturday afternoon local time, when many families were out shopping.
A residence linked to Mauricio Garcia, who was killed by police after the mass shooting. Photo: Tony Gutierrez / AP / NTB
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It was the New York Times that first reported the account on the Russian media, and its authenticity was later identified by Bellingcat.
(©NTB)