The second deadliest mass shooting this year at a mall near Dallas Texas may have been committed by a gunman who had right wing extremist motives and Neo Nazi Views. Mauricio Garcia was shot and killed by police after killing eight people on Saturday.
“People were still sheltering in their cars,” witness Steven Spainhouer said. “People were running away from the mall.”
Garcia had an AR-15 style rifle. Witness Max Weiss said, “I was just kind of full of adrenaline. I mean, it was the most terrifying moment in my life.”
At the time of the shooting, police say Garcia was wearing a patch on his clothing that read RWDS, an acronym for the Right Wing Death Squad, known to domestic terrorist watch groups.
“This is obviously, a very intense, methodical investigation,” News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst, Lakesha Burton said.
Burton spent decades on the force in Jacksonville, and said law enforcement agencies investigating this mass shooting want to learn as much information about Garcia’s potential ties to Neo Nazi and White Supremacists’ groups.
She said law enforcement nationwide are likely sharing information through a shared database called Fusion Centers.
“Communication and collaboration is important,” Burton said. “So, the Fusion Center was created just for that. It’s a central hub for information, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies when they come across information that may be hate related, they analyze it and share it.”
Federal agents are also reviewing Garcia’s social media accounts, and combing through his financial records and transactions. Burton said the most telling information, however, may come from Garcia’s family and close associates, about his ideological beliefs.
“With all the hatred around the country, and when you’re looking at mass shootings, some of the underlying common factors include this type of hatred,” Burton said.
Multiple weapons were found in Garcia’s car at the scene of the shooting. The FBI is the lead agency in this investigation.