Texas mall shooter id as Dallas Hispanic man, Mauricio Martinez Garcia with gang tattoo on hand who until recently lived with his parents before moving to a motel. Investigators seek to find out if gunman had any radical right affiliations. Gunman also recorded personalised message about money (listen below).
Social media is alluding to the identity of the Texas mall shooter who shot dead eight shoppers, injuring seven others, including children at a local shopping mall as a Dallas area man of Hispanic origin possibly belonging to a gang.
The gunman, since identified as 33 year old man Mauricio Martinez according to captured footage and witnesses, drove up to the Allen Premium Outlets shopping mall just in the town of Allen, a small suburb north of Dallas, just after 3.30pm Saturday afternoon and began to randomly shoot at shoppers upon getting out of a grey car before being shot dead by a police officer who had arrived at the mall for another incident.
Witnesses told of the gunman approaching stunned shoppers at the mall, dressed in all black and wearing military tactical gear akin to that worn by SWAT police officers and armed with an AR-15. Along with the rifle police found more weapons, including a handgun, and ammunition on the suspect and his car, NBC News reported.
‘What will my parents think of me?’ Texas mall shooter Russian online profile shows how he planned mall shooting & political musings https://t.co/gEMHkvge3Z #Mauricio Martinez Garcia #Allen Premium Outlets #Mauricio Garcia #MauricioGarcia #PsychoVision5 #Texas mall shooting
— Scallywagandvagabond (@ScallywagNYC) May 8, 2023
The Allen shooter has a tattoo on his hand that some think corresponds to tango blast! pic.twitter.com/vDFnmiOkY9
— Texas (@MustangMan_TX) May 7, 2023
Gang tattoo on gunman’s left hand
Close stills of the gunman’s left hand showed what appeared to be a gang tattoo. Or at least an image linked to the one members of gangs used. Authorities had yet to confirm the nature or affiliation of the tattoo as social media speculated whether the shooting was an orchestrated hit against ‘whites’.
Meanwhile police and the FBI convened at the man’s family home in the Dallas area, in which it was revealed the gunman had until only recently lived with his parents before moving to a motel. Translators were requested by the family.
Garcia did not have a serious criminal history and was working as a security guard, though its unclear where, CBS News reported. Officials are also investigating any possible ties between the suspect and radical beliefs after he was found wearing a patch on his chest that suggested white supremacist or neo-Nazi leanings, according to the Washington Post.
Where did you get that from? Mauricio Garcia was a US citizen who was kicked out of the military. pic.twitter.com/eKgKIjuBus
— nicole🕯🪴 (@PLANTHAVER) May 8, 2023
Gunman’s personal voicemail about money
Neighbors told WFAA that Garcia who had lived with his parents ‘for ages,’ was very quiet, often wore some kind of security uniform, although he had never been seen with a weapon. Neighbors also remarked the man was often seen dressed in Gothic regalia.
The man was often observed walking up and down the street where he lived wearing a hoodie, rarely talked to anyone and exhibited ‘unusual behavior.’
Callers to his cell phone are met with the following: ‘Hi, this is Mauricio. If you’re the phone company I sent you the money, or if you’re my parents please send money.
‘If you are my financial aid institution you didn’t lend me enough money, if you are a friend you owe me money.
‘And if you are a female, don’t worry, I have plenty of money.’
It is not immediately clear when Garcia recorded the message, or how much of it was said in jest.
The alleged gunman’s gray Dodge Charger was always parked in front of the house, neighbors said, while noting he and the car had notably been absent in recent weeks.
Neighbors did not recall any police activity or problems at the residence.
Investigators believe the gunman acted alone – while his motives continued to remain unknown.
Dallas is roughly 30 miles south of the Allen Premium Outlets, where the shooting occurred.
