allen mall shooting

Allen Mall Gunman Identified, Had 2 Guns and More in His Vehicle: Sources

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Sunday, the family of Christian LaCour confirmed the 20-year-old Farmersville resident was among those eight victims. NBC 5’s Allie Spillyards has more.

What to Know

  • A man opened fire at an outdoor shopping center in Allen, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, killing eight people Saturday afternoon and injuring seven others.
  • More weapons and ammunition were found in the gunman's car, and senior law enforcement officials tell NBC News he interacted with neo-Nazi and white supremacist content online.
  • The gunman was killed by a police officer at the mall on an unrelated call.

The gunman who killed at least eight people and wounded at least seven others at the Allen Premium Outlets Saturday has been identified.

Two senior law enforcement officials tell NBC News the man who opened fire was 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia and he had a tactical vest and was armed with a rifle of some kind as well as a handgun. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss details of an ongoing investigation.

Law Enforcement officials also tell NBC News authorities are now investigating this as a case of racial or ethnically motivated extremism.

Witnesses described seeing a man, who they believed to be the gunman, wearing a mask and police-like attire.

One of the senior law enforcement officials said more weapons and ammunition were found in his car.

The suspected shooter interacted with neo-Nazi and white supremacist content online, the two senior law enforcement officials told NBC. NBC News has not seen any of the suspect's accounts thus far, and the officials stressed it's still early in the investigation and too early to ascribe a motive.

According to one of the officials, he was found with a patch with a right-wing acronym on his chest. It's not known at this time what the right-wing acronym is.

The gunman was killed by an Allen police officer who happened to be at the outdoor mall on an unrelated call when he heard shots fired. Allen Chief of Police Brian Harvey said the officer ran toward the gunfire, found the gunman and "neutralized" him.

Officials said Saturday they believe the gunman acted alone and that there was no ongoing threat to the community.

Officials told The Associated Press that the suspect had been staying at a nearby motel which was being searched as well as a home in the Dallas area connected to the man. The official told AP the weapons included an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.

The mall remained closed Sunday, bullet holes could be seen in cars in the mall parking lot as well as in storefronts.

Authorities told everyone to pick up cars at Edge Skate Park at 201 St. Mary Drive, where they will be transported to the Outlets to retrieve their vehicles. 

The FBI advises to not go directly to the Outlets:

"Be sure to have your car keys with you. This service will end at 2 p.m. The Outlets will remain closed, and no one will be allowed to enter any store."

"Individuals wishing to retrieve their cars should be dropped off at the Senior Center, or if needed, park next door at the Edge at Allen Station Skate Park, on the west side of the Senior Center. Please drop off only one individual for vehicle retrieval. Be sure to have your car keys with you."

Map showing the location of the Allen Premium Outlet mall in Allen, Texas.

An ATF spokesperson told NBC 5 that agents would trace the firearms involved in the attack.

Witnesses or anyone with footage was asked to contact the FBI by calling 1-800-225-5324 (800-CALL-FBI), digital media can also be uploaded to FBI.gov/allenmallshooting.

On Sunday, the Allen Police Department said four patients were being treated at Medical City McKinney, one in fair condition and three in critical condition. One patient was transferred to Medical City Plano, a Level I Trauma Center, and is listed in fair condition. One patient was transferred to Medical City Children's Hospital and is in fair condition. Another was treated at a different area hospital.

Medical City Healthcare told NBC 5 Saturday that shooting victims ranged in age from 5 years old to 61 years old.

With the outpouring of support for the victims of the mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets, GoFundMe has launched a centralized hub for all verified fundraisers related to the shooting. The online fundraising platform said it was working around the clock to make sure that all funds donated go directly to survivors or the families of victims.

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