A gunman clad in black body armour and armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle opened fire at a Texas mall on Saturday, killing eight people and injuring seven others.
The suspect was identified by law enforcement sources as 33-year-old security guard Mauricio Garcia, NBC News reported.
Dashcam video circulating on social media appeared to show the gunman getting out of a grey sedan just outside the entrance of the Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling centre on the outskirts of Dallas, and immediately begin shooting at passersby in the carpark.
An Allen Police Department officer attending an unrelated call heard the gunfire, and “neutralised” the suspect, police said.
What we know about the suspect
On Sunday, several media outlets identified the gunman as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia.
Police have not released a possible motive, but Garcia was wearing a patch on his chest that suggested he may have had white supremacist beliefs, law enforcement sources toldthe Washington Post.
The patch read RWDS, which stands for Right Wing Death Squad, a popular phrase among far-right extremists.
Garcia had several weapons including an AR-15 rifle and a handgun on him and in his car, the Post reported.
According to CBS News reporter JD Miles, Garcia was a security guard with no serious criminal record.
He had been living in a motel at the time the shooting, Mr Miles said.
FBI agents raided a Dallas home where Garcia had been living with his parents for years, according to Fox News.
Officers were stationed outside the address on Sunday. The suspect’s family requested a translator to speak with authorities.
According to CNN, a state database showed Garcia had received firearms training as part of his work as a commissioned private security guard.
He was licensed to work as a security guard from 2016 to 2020, when his permit expired, and had worked for at three companies.
Private security guards are vetted and are barred from gaining a license if they have convictions for crimes such as assault or sexual offenses, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
How the shooting unfolded
The gunman arrived at the mall just after 3.30pm local time.
Video showed him exiting a grey sedan vehicle, dressed in black tactical gear and armed with an AR-15-style weapon before opening fire.
Hundreds of shoppers could be seen trying to flee the scene on aerial footage after the gunman opened fire with an AR-15-style gun around 3.30pm local time. Bodies of the victims, including several young children, were covered by sheets.
Seven people — including the suspect — were killed at the scene, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said at a press conference on Saturday.
Nine people were transported to hospital, where two more succumbed to their injuries.
Three survivors were undergoing surgery and remained in a critical condition on Saturday night, Mr Boyd said. Four others were in a stable condition.
The injured included children as young as five, a Dallas area hospital told CNN.
