Texas mall gunman had 'Right Wing Death Squad patch on his chest'

Police are investigating whether a man believed to have shot and killed eight people at a shopping centre had an interest in ‘white supremacist ideology’.

The gunman, who opened fire at Allen Premier Outlets not far from Dallas, Texas on Saturday afternoon, has been named as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia.

At least seven people were injured during the attack and they were all still in hospital on Sunday evening, three in critical condition.

A police officer who happened to be nearby on another call heard the gunshots and fatally shot the suspect.

The victims are yet to be formally identified.

A law enforcement official said federal agents had been reviewing Garcia’s social media accounts and they found he had expressed an interest in neo-Nazi views.

He was also seen wearing a ‘RWDS’ patch – which stands for ‘right wing death squad’ and is popular among extremists and white supremacy groups – on his chest.

The Texas Department of Public Safety identified Garcia as the suspect yesterday, but Allen Police chief Brian Harvey declined to answer further questions, saying: ‘We actually don’t have a lot.’

Another official said investigators had searched a home connected to Garcia and a Dallas motel where he had been staying. Multiple weapons, including an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, were found.

In a statement President Joe Biden urged Congress to enact tougher restrictions on the sale of firearms and ammunition.

He said: ‘Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts.

‘Republicans in Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug.’

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