What we know about the Texas mall shooting
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The man accused of killing eight people and injuring seven others in a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday was identified as a 33-year-old who had been living in a motel, per AP.
Driving the news: Authorities identified the suspect as Mauricio Garcia, from Dallas. He was one of seven people who died at the scene. Two others died at the hospital.
- Police found multiple weapons at the outlet mall in Allen, a city in Collin County and a northern suburb of Dallas. These included an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, per AP.
The latest: Vigils were held outside the mall and at the Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church on Sunday evening to honor the victims.
- As Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) joined thousands of people gathered inside the church a group of protesters gathered outside to demand reforms to gun laws.
- Three people remained in critical condition and four others were in fair condition, including one at Medical City Children's Hospital, hospital officials said Sunday.
- Officials hadn't identified any of the victims nor given ages, but Medical City Healthcare treated eight of the victims, ranging in age from 5 to 61.
- Meanwhile, relatives identified Aishwarya Thatikonda and Christian LaCour, who was a security guard at the mall, as victims, per WFAA.
What happened: An Allen police officer responding to an unrelated call at the outlet mall reported hearing gunfire around 3:35pm Saturday. The officer followed the sound and fatally shot the gunman.
- Videos posted online that appear to have been taken during the shooting show people fleeing in the parking lot as gunshots ring out. One video showed a man get out of a car and start shooting.
What they're saying: Witnesses described chaos and carnage after the shooting. Steven Spainhouer described finding a child under his mother's body.
- "No one can see what we saw today and not be affected by it," Spainhouer said, per CBS.
Details: Until recently, the alleged gunman had been living with his parents in northeast Dallas. Neighbors told WFAA they often saw Garcia wearing a security uniform.
- A heavily armed man wearing a security uniform appeared to be among the dead at the outlet mall Saturday.
- The gunman had a patch on his chest that said "RWDS," an acronym for Right Wing Death Squad — a phrase popular among extremists, including white supremacy groups, per the Washington Post.
- Sources told WFAA that Garcia had been in the U.S. Army in 2008 but was removed due to mental health concerns.
Of note: The FBI is assisting in the investigation and searched the alleged gunman's parents' home and a motel Saturday.
- They're asking anyone with video from the scene to upload footage here.
Meanwhile, President Biden ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset Thursday.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout.
