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2 mall shooting victims ID’d as police investigate motive

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ALLEN, Texas (NewsNation) — Days after a shooting at a mall in Texas left eight dead, authorities are looking into the suspect’s possible motive, including indications of neo-Nazi sympathies found on his social media accounts.

The assailant was confirmed by NewsNation sources Sunday as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia. He was fatally shot by a police officer who happened to be near the suburban Dallas mall, law enforcement officials said.

Federal investigators so far, have found early indications of neo-Nazi ideologies in Garcia’s online activity, authorities say.

One investigator revealed that at the time of the shooting, Garcia was wearing a patch on his chest reading, “Right-wing death squad,” a popular phrase among white supremacy groups.

During the shooting, Garcia fired off more than 100 shots using an AR-15-style rifle. More guns and ammunition were also found at the crime scene.

Two of the eight victims were identified as 20-year-old Christian LaCour, a security guard at the mall, and 27-year-old Aishwarya Thatikonda, who a report by CNN said was visiting the mall with her friend.

The other six victims have yet to be identified. Besides the victims who were killed, seven others were injured during the attack and are being treated at local hospitals.

Steven Spainhauer, a former police officer, was shopping with his son at the mall when the shooting occurred. He told NewsNation that he tried to perform life-saving measures on several victims, but many of them were unsuccessful.

Spainhauer was able to get one child out of harm’s way successfully.

“I found a second victim that was already expired. I tried to do CPR on a third victim and he passed at the same time,” Spainhauer said.

He continued, “I then found a 4 or 5-year-old crawling out from under the victims and started wandering around, asking for help from his mama. I took him to the side. He was the first victim I got out with police officer assistance who showed up a few seconds later.”

Spainhauer said he will never forget the look on the first police officer’s face when he showed up at the scene.

  • Protesters gather at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, Monday, May 8, 2023, to call for tighter regulations on gun sales. A gunman killed several people at a Dallas-area mall Saturday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
  • Protesters gather at the Texas State Capitol to call for tighter regulations on gun sales in Austin, Texas, Monday, May 8, 2023. A gunman killed eight people at a Dallas-area mall Saturday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
  • Protesters gather at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, Monday, May 8, 2023, to call for tighter regulations on gun sales. A gunman killed several people at a Dallas-area mall Saturday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
  • People raise their hands as they leave a shopping center following reports of a shooting, Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
  • A law enforcement officer walks as people are evacuated from a shopping center where a shooting occurred Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
  • CORRECTS DATELINE TO ALLEN, TEXAS, INSTEAD OF FRISCO, TEXAS – People raise their hands as they leave a shopping center following reports of a shooting, Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
  • A law enforcement officer carries a rifle as people are evacuated from a shopping center where a shooting occurred Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
  • A law enforcement officer runs as people are evacuated from a shopping center where a shooting occurred Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
  • People gather across the street from a shopping center after a shooting Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
  • The front entrance of a home connected to suspected mall gunman, Mauricio Garcia, is seen, Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Dallas. The home was searched overnight by law enforcement officials related to the mall shooting in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
  • The front entrance of a home connected to suspected mall gunman, Mauricio Garcia, is seen, Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Dallas. The home was searched overnight by law enforcement officials related to the mall shooting in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
  • Texas Gov. Greg Abbott arrives for a prayer vigil after a mass shooting a day earlier, Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
  • Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, front center, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, center, arrive for a prayer vigil after a mass shooting the day before, Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero2
  • Roberto Marquez, left with hat, and Fred Lowstetter raise a cross with a Texas flag as they construct a memorial outside an entrance to the mall a day after a mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP)
  • Fred Lowstetter, left, and Israel Gil raise a cross with a Texas flag as they construct a memorial outside an entrance to the mall a day after a mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP)
  • Sara Tabatabaie wipes away a tear at a memorial outside an entrance to the parking lot of the mall a day after a mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP)
  • Pastor Dustin Bates leads a church service dedicated to the victims of Saturday’s mass shooting at a Texas outlet mall at Church Eleven32 on Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News via AP)
  • People gather for a prayer vigil, Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Allen, Texas, after a mass shooting the day before. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
  • People gather for a prayer vigil, Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Allen, Texas, after a mass shooting the day before. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
  • Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, left, greets an attendee of a prayer vigil after a mass shooting the day before Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
  • Sam Morin, 17, right, and Briason Foley, 15, hold protest signs outside a prayer vigil after a mass shooting the day before Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
  • Mary Ann Foley holds a protest sign outside a prayer vigil following a mass shooting the day before, Sunday, May 7, 2023, in Allen, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

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