Allen gunman expressed "neo-Nazi ideations"
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White nationalists and neo-Nazis have put "RWDS" — short for Right Wing Death Squad — on shields and patches for years. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The Allen gunman expressed white supremacist beliefs, including posting on social media that he hoped for a race war, authorities said.
Driving the news: Law enforcement officials confirmed that 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, from Dallas, was wearing patches on his clothing and had tattoos that expressed "neo-Nazi ideations."
- Garcia appeared to have a profile on a Russian social media platform where he posted his misogynist and white supremacist views, per the Washington Post.
The big picture: The number of mass killings linked to far-right extremists has been increasing in the U.S. in recent years.
- And American extremists are turning to Russian social media sites as an outlet, Axios' Sara Fischer reports.
Details: Four of the people killed Saturday were Asian. About 19% of Allen's population is Asian.
- Garcia was found wearing a patch that said "RWDS," an acronym for Right Wing Death Squad, per AP. The phrase has been increasingly used by right-wing extremists and was written on shields used in the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, per the Anti-Defamation League.
Yes, but: Law enforcement officials don't believe the shooter was targeting a racial group.
- "To me, it looks like he targeted the location and not a specific group of people," said DPS North Texas regional director Hank Sibley.
Of note: Garcia's social media posts included photos of the outlet mall.
Between the lines: White nationalist Hispanics are becoming more visible. For example, political commentator Nick Fuentes, whose father is also half Mexican American, has hosted a white nationalist conference.
- Garcia posted online content from white nationalists including Fuentes, per NBC.
Background: Garcia was previously licensed as a private security guard and went through months of basic training in the U.S. Army in 2008 but was terminated after three months.
- Army officials didn't publicly say why he was dismissed, but several news outlets have reported that it was due to mental health concerns, which DPS officials repeated yesterday.
- He had no criminal record and legally bought all of his weapons.
What's next: The FBI seized Garcia's computer and is accessing his social media accounts to try to determine his motives.