Texas gunman’s social media posts embraced white supremacy, media reports say

On May 8, it was once reported via more than one news retailers {that a} Texas guy, recognized as Mauricio Garcia, killed 8 folks with gunfire at a shopping center within the Dallas space over the weekend. His social media profile was once stuffed with white supremacist and neo-Nazi ideology consisting of language that praised Hitler whilst vilifying racial minorities and ladies. On Saturday, 5 adults have been murdered and 3 youngsters have been killed together with an 11-year-old lady, 8-year-old lady, and a 3-year-old boy. The adults who misplaced their lives have been recognized as Kyo Song Cho, 37, and Cindy Cho, 35, of Dallas (oldsters of the slain 3-year-old and of a 6-year-old son who survived and was once wounded), Christian LeCour, 23, of Nevada, Texas, Elio Cumana-Rivas, 32, of Dallas, and Aishwarya Thatikonda, 26, of McKinney, Texas. Ten folks ranging in age from 5 to 61 have been additionally injured within the mass capturing, 3 of whom are in crucial situation.

No reason for the assault has but been made up our minds. On the day of the capturing, Garcia was once dressed in a patch that bore an “RWDS” image, related to violent right-wing extremists. The image is understood to face for “Right Wing Death Squad.”

Praise for Hitler and ‘RWDS’ Patch

Hate-filled posts concentrated on racial and ethnic minorities have been discovered via investigators combing social media accounts related to the gunman. The New York Times reported that Garcia posted quite a lot of messages on a Russian social media platform praising Hitler, sympathizing with neo-Nazi ideals, and disparaging ladies. However, the creator in the back of one of the most posts below investigation time and again recommended he was once of Hispanic heritage or even integrated a post remaining month pronouncing that “white people and Hispanics have a lot in common.” At the time of writing, those reports may no longer be independently showed.

The Allen Police Department, Collin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety have no longer but showed those reports.

The bloodbath is one in every of a minimum of 202 mass shootings recorded within the United States this 12 months, consistent with the Gun Violence Archive. The crew defines a mass capturing as any wherein 4 or extra persons are wounded or killed, no longer together with the shooter.

Following the incident, US President Biden renewed his requires Congress to prohibit attack guns and high-capacity ammunition magazines and to put into effect common background assessments whilst finishing immunity for gun producers.

On May 10, a committee of the state House of Representatives authorized regulation to boost the minimal prison age for purchasing semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 in Texas. This measure was once backed via Democratic lawmaker Tracy King, whose district comprises the town of Uvalde, the place 19 youngsters and two academics have been killed in a mass capturing just about a 12 months in the past. However, the regulation is not going to move the Republican-dominated legislature and is adverse via Governor Greg Abbott.

Reporting via Tyler Clifford in New York; Editing via Lisa Shumaker