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By Brendan Pierson and Jacqueline Thomsen A case brought by anti-abortion groups seeking to ban the abortion pill

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 the Texas Department of Public Safety as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, a security guard and former US Army trainee. 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 opening fire on passersby in the carpark. An Allen Police Department officer attending an unrelated call at the mall heard the gunfire and “neutralised” the suspect, police said. What we know about the suspect Mauricio Garcia, 33, was identified on Sunday as the gunman who killed eight innocent shoppers and mall staff members in Saturday’s horror attack. Garcia drove to the mall with several weapons and opened fire as soon as he stepped out of his vehicle. An AR-15 rifle and a handgun were reportedly found on him and in his car. Police have not released a possible motive, but investigators are looking into Garcia’s possible neo-Nazi and white supremacist beliefs. Garcia was wearing black body armour and a patch on his chest that suggested he may have harboured extremist ideologies, law enforcement sources told The Washington Post. The patch read RWDS, which stands for Right Wing Death Squad, a popular phrase among far-right extremists. Police sources told NBC News that Garcia had posted and engaged with neo-Nazi and white supremacist content online. His accounts appear to have since been taken down. Garcia also trained with the US Army but was terminated in June 2008, three months into his training without completing entry training, US Army Public Affairs Spokeswoman Heather J Hagan told The Independent. After that, he became a security guard, most recently working for an aluminum supply company. Through his work as a security guard, Garcia underwent firearms proficiency training as recently as 2018, according to the Texas Online Private Security database. The online records show that he began training in 2015 before becoming a commissioned security officer in April 2016. His licence expired in April 2020. During that time, he is listed as working for three security companies: Ruiz Protective Service, Statewide Patrol and Verified Response Security & Investigations. It is unclear why his security guard licence was suspended. It is unclear if he had any connection to the mall where he carried out Saturday’s rampage. 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. According to CBS News reporter JD Miles, Garcia was a security guard with no serious criminal record. At the time of the shooting, Garcia had reportedly been living in a motel. 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. How the shooting unfolded The gunman arrived at the mall just after 3.30pm local time on Saturday. 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. 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. The victims As details continue to emerge about the gunman, the victims are starting to be identified. Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old security guard at the mall, was identified by family members as one of the victims of Sunday’s massacre. LaCour’s grandmother posted a tribute to her grandson on social media. “He was such a beautiful soul,” she wrote. “I was so proud of him and so glad I got to see him 2 weeks ago.” Aishwarya Thatikonda, an engineer who moved to the US from India, was also killed in the attack. Thatikonda was shopping with a friend at the mall when she was shot and killed by the gunman, a family representative told WFAA. Her friend was also shot and injured in the shooting and is currently in stable condition in hospital. Thatikonda’s family is planning to fly her body to India where she has family. Texas’ dark weekend The mall shooting marked the start of a dark weekend for Texas. In Brownsville, eight people were killed when an SUV slammed into a crowd of people outside a migrant shelter in the border city on Sunday afternoon. Horrifying footage, taken from a security camera and shared by Texas Rep Henry Cuellar, shows a group of people waiting for a bus outside the city’s Ozanam Center. The SUV then rams into the victims. Seven people died before an eighth victim succumbed to their injuries in hospital later that day. At least nine others were hospitalised. Most of the victims were Venezuelan men who had spent the night at the shelter and were boarding a bus to return to downtown Brownsville. Officials initially said that the incident appeared to be intentional and described the driver – whose identity remains unknown – as “very uncooperative”. Also on Sunday, one person was killed and two others were injured in a shooting on a DART train in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday – just a 30-minute drive from the mall massacre. Gunfire broke out on board a Green Line train near Hatcher Station when two people got into an argument on Sunday afternoon, accoding to authorities. DART police said that officers were called to reports of a shooting on the northbound train at around 4.30pm. Officers arrived on the scene to find two people – one of them a bystander – suffering from gunshot wounds. They were both transported to local hospitals where one of the victims was pronounced dead. The condition of the second victim – the bystander – is unknown. A third individual was also wounded in the shooting after being struck by shrapnel and was treated at the scene, police said. Now, DART police are searching for the suspected shooter, whose identity is unknown. Read More Texas shooting – live: Nine dead including ‘monster’ shooter in massacre at Allen mall Audio reveals moment officer made frantic request for backup moments before taking down Texas mall shooter Marjorie Taylor Greene sidesteps gun issue, blames Texas mall shooting on ‘evil forces’

Republican Senator Ted Cruz received a torrent of criticism after he tweeted his condolences after a mass shooting in Allen, Texas, killed eight people and left seven injured. On Saturday, Mr Cruz tweeted his condolences and said he would be monitoring events unfolding after 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia opened fire at Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday afternoon. “Heidi and I are praying for the families of the victims of the horrific mall shooting in Allen, Texas,” he tweeted out. “We pray also for the broader Collin County community that’s in shock from this tragedy.” In response, many pointed out how Mr Cruz ardently opposes measures to curb gun violence. David Hogg, a survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, who has since become an outspoken advocate for gun control, criticised Mr Cruz. “Man if only there was something you could do to prevent these tragedies,” he tweeted in response. Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, tweeted how Mr Cruz supported regulation of industries other than guns. “After 16 people were killed in a hot air balloon in Lockhart, Cruz authored and passed legislation improving safety rules. After mass shootings, he only offers his prayers,” she tweeted. “That’s not because laws don't work, but because there's no hot air balloon lobby funding his Senate seat.” In recent years, Mr Cruz has opposed measures to curb gun control, including last year when his fellow Senator from Texas John Cornyn engaged in bipartisan negotiations with Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Democrat-turned-Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. The legislation ultimately passed with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voting for it. Last week, Democratic Representative Colin Allred announced he would challenge Mr Cruz in 2024. Mr Allred criticised the lack of action after the shooting. “Eight lives tragically cut short,” he tweeted on Sunday. “As I grieve with my fellow Texans and pray for those who were injured, I won't accept that we are powerless to prevent this. It's our responsibility as lawmakers to help make our communities safer. We must take common sense steps to save lives.” Read More Allen mall shooting – live: Texas outlet worker died saving shoppers from ‘white supremacist’ gunman Hero Texas outlet worker died in mall shooting after risking life to hide customers Texas mall gunman was allegedly removed from military due to ‘mental health concerns’ Tanked Biden pick highlights escalation of dark-money forces Colin Allred, former NFL player, announces Democratic challenge to Ted Cruz in Texas Will the Supreme Court have to answer to ethics rules?

The Texas man who killed eight people while carrying out a mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday (6 May) was terminated from the US Army training in 2008 due to a physical or mental health concern according to the US Army. The shooter, identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, entered the regular army in 2008 but was terminated three months later according to a statement provided to The Independent by Heather J Hagan, US Army Public Affairs Spokeswoman. “Mauricio Garcia entered the regular Army in June 2008; he was terminated three months later without completing initial entry training. He was not awarded a military occupational specialty. He had no deployments or awards,” Ms Hagan said. She added that the Army does not provide characterisation of the discharge of any soldier. However, an Army Official noted that Garcia was “separated” under the 2005 edition of Army Regulation 635-200 paragraph 5-17, “other designated physical or mental conditions”. Garcia’s mental health has been subject to questions after law enforcement investigating the horrific attack revealed that Garcia may have engaged with white supremacist or neo-Nazi rhetoric online. An insignia associated with right-wing groups was found on the gunman’s clothing indicating he could have embraced a far-right ideology. Though law enforcement said they had not established a motive for the mass shooting yet. Local and state law enforcement are working with the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine if the shooting was racially or ethnically motivated. As of now, authorities believe Garcia acted alone in the shooting. Garcia arrived at the mall around 3.30 pm local time on Saturday armed with an AR-15-style rifle, body armour and multiple rounds of ammunition. A dashcam video circulating on social media appeared to show the gunman getting out of a grey sedan just outside the mall’s entrance and then immediately begin shooting. Allen police said that an officer attending an unrelated call at Allen Premium Outlets heard gunshots at 3.36 pm on Saturday. Eight people, ranging in age from 5 to 61, were fatally shot before Garcia was shot dead by law enforcement. An image circulating online seemingly showed Garcia lying on the ground after being shot. Police said while searching the car Garcia arrived at the Allen Premium Outlets mall in, they found multiple weapons. Initial reports say Garica formerly worked as a security guard and received firearms training. It is believed that he did not have a criminal history. The Texas Department of Public Safety said Garcia is from Dallas. Read More Allen mall shooting – live: Texas outlet worker died saving shoppers from ‘white supremacist’ gunman Video captures moment people escape out back door of Burger restaurant during Texas mall shooting Texas mall shooting: All we know about the deadly outlet massacre

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