Texas Mass Shooter Posted Neo-Nazi Content, FBI Document Reveals
The suspected mass shooter who killed at least eight people at an Allen, Texas mall on Saturday frequently posted pro-white supremacist and neo-Nazi materials on social media, according to an FBI bulletin reviewed by Rolling Stone.
The FBI’s “review and triage of the subject’s social media accounts revealed hundreds of postings and images to include writings with racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist rhetoric, including neo-Nazi materials and material espousing the supremacy of the white race,” the bulletin reads.
More from Rolling Stone
Two Sisters; 3-Year-Old Boy and His Parents Among the Victims of Texas Mall Shooting
Fox News Guest's Answer to Mass Shootings: 'Plan to Kill Everyone You Meet'
The document also says the alleged shooter was discharged from the military in 2008 amid “mental health concerns.”
“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. We do not provide characterization of discharge for any soldier,” an Army spokesperson said in a statement.
Investigators believe the shooter was a neo-Nazi and an “incel,” according to an internal email circulated by Texas law enforcement.
On Saturday, a man, identified in law enforcement documents as 33-year-old Dallas resident Mauricio Garcia, opened fire at Allen Premium Outlets. The suspected shooter was killed by police at the scene, where several of the victims were found deceased. Nine additional victims were later transported to the hospital. Another two victims later died at the hospital.
Garcia had no criminal history but is believed to have been associated with a local neo-Nazi group, according to the email. He previously reported a lost firearm to authorities, which police believe allowed him to then modify that same firearm in an attempt to make it harder to trace, according to the law enforcement documents reviewed by Rolling Stone. The suspect is a U.S. citizen who has never applied for a passport, the law enforcement documents also noted.
Garcia was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, according to law enforcement emails. He was also wearing a tactical vest with an “RWDS” patch — a reference to “right wing death squad,” which is a term used by white supremacists. He had 10 rifle magazines and six pistol magazines on his body. More handguns and rifles were found in his car, according to law enforcement emails.
The investigation into the shooter’s motives is ongoing, but on Monday new details emerged about online accounts believed to be Garcia’s.
An online account believed belong to the shooter was identified on OK.RU, a Russian social media site. The account posted photos, images, writings, and tactical planning as he prepared to carry out an attack on the Allen Premium Outlets.
In one image, he indicated he was monitoring Google for times when the mall had the most people. In another, the suspected shooter is shown bare chested with swastika and other neo-Nazi symbol tattoos. The tactical planning aspects of choosing his target and weaponry are part of these hundreds of posts in his online journal documenting his beliefs and plans leading up to the attack on Saturday. This account, which was still online on Monday afternoon, include numerous photos of pages and pages of his handwritten thoughts while planning the attack.
He also had a YouTube account.
“The alleged perpetrator’s social media account on OK.RU serves an online diary replete with white supremacist and violent misogynistic rhetoric,” says Jon Lewis, Research fellow with the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. ” “The individual’s anger towards minorities and women serve as key themes which are evident throughout his posts. The profile also acts as a visual reference for his actions, including posts which serve as tactical planning for the attack.”
“The social media profile also includes a suicide note-style post made the day of the shooting. His profile also includes hundreds of images of his handwritten diary that highlight his inner thoughts and worldview.”
While the FBI bulletin reviewed by Rolling Stone on Sunday mentioned the hundreds of online posts, the agency charged with open source social media monitoring–The Department of Homeland Security—somehow did not find any of the shooter’s online activity, according to DHS emails circulated on Sunday. It’s unclear why the division in charge of social media monitoring at the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis was unable to find any of the hundreds of posts by the suspected shooter.
“This shooter seems to share the behavioral characteristics of recent past shooters – he seems to have embraced a blend of ideological beliefs; he exhibited behavioral health challenges and embraced and share symbols associated with various Internet subcultures,” says John Cohen, former DHS undersecretary of intelligence and analysis. “He is illustrative of the threat now facing the nation, a threat that has resulted in unacceptable levels of violence across the Nation.”
Best of Rolling Stone
