ALLEN, Texas (AP) — Federal officers are wanting into whether or not the gunman who killed eight individuals at a Dallas-area mall expressed an curiosity in White supremacist ideology Sunday as they work to discern a motive for the assault, a legislation enforcement official advised The Associated Press. The official cautioned the investigation is in its early levels.

Federal brokers have been reviewing social media accounts they imagine had been utilized by Mauricio Garcia, 33, and posts that expressed curiosity in White supremacist and neo-Nazi views, stated the official, who couldn't talk about particulars of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on situation of anonymity.

Garcia additionally had a patch on his chest when he was killed by police that learn “RWDS,” an acronym for the phrase “Right Wing Death Squad,” which is common amongst right-wing extremists and White supremacy teams, the official stated.

In addition to reviewing social media posts, federal brokers have interviewed relations and associates of Garcia to ask about his ideological beliefs, the official stated. Investigators are additionally reviewing monetary data, different on-line posts they imagine Garcia made and different digital media, in keeping with the official.

Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey declined Sunday night to reply questions from the AP, saying of the investigation, “we actually don’t have a lot.”

The Texas Department of Public Safety recognized Garcia as suspected of killing eight individuals at a Texas outlet mall, a day after the assault turned a day of procuring right into a bloodbath.

Garcia was fatally shot Saturday by a police officer who occurred to be close to the suburban Dallas mall.

A legislation enforcement official stated investigators have been looking a Dallas motel close to an interstate the place Garcia had been staying. The official stated police additionally discovered a number of weapons on the scene after Garcia was killed, together with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.

Two legislation enforcement officers stated investigators additionally searched a Dallas house linked to the suspect. The officers spoke on situation of anonymity in an effort to talk about particulars of an ongoing investigation.

A girl who lives three homes down from the low brick home stated she noticed a big group of uniformed officers go into the house Saturday between 6 p.m. and seven p.m.

“They went in like real fast, and I seen them do that like twice,” stated Marsha Alexander, who stated officers had been nonetheless within the space when she went to mattress round 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. They had been passed by Sunday morning.

On Sunday afternoon, a girl named Julie was sitting on the porch of her home, subsequent door to the one searched the day earlier than. She declined to provide her final identify to an AP reporter however stated she awoke from a nap round 6 p.m. Saturday to see 4 police squad vehicles and a big group of officers exterior her neighbor’s house.

She stated they entered the house and had been joined about an hour later by FBI brokers and different individuals carrying plainclothes, who she additionally took to be legislation enforcement.

The lady stated she didn't know her neighbors nicely, however knew them to be “very polite, very nice people.” She stated the person she now understands to have been the shooter was at all times pleasant and would wave or honk his horn as he got here and went.

At about 2 p.m. Sunday, a person entered the house that was searched, however when reporters knocked on the door and waited, nobody answered.

In a press release, President Biden stated the assailant wore tactical gear and fired an AR-15-style weapon. He urged Congress to enact tighter restrictions on firearms and ammunition.

“Such an attack is too shocking to be so familiar. And yet, American communities have suffered roughly 200 mass shootings already this year, according to leading counts,” stated Biden, who ordered flags lowered to half-staff.

Republicans in Congress, he stated, “cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug.”

The capturing was the most recent assault to contribute to the unprecedented tempo of mass killings this 12 months within the U.S. Barely every week earlier than, 5 individuals had been fatally shot in Cleveland, Texas, after a neighbor requested a person to cease firing his weapon whereas a child slept, authorities stated.

This 12 months has seen a median of about one mass killing per week, in keeping with a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

Information concerning the gunman in Allen emerged because the neighborhood mourned the lifeless and awaited phrase on the seven individuals who had been wounded. Authorities haven't publicly recognized those that had been killed.

The wounded remained hospitalized Sunday, three in essential situation and 4 in truthful situation, the Allen Police Department stated in a press release.

John Mark Caton, senior pastor at Cottonwood Creek Church about two miles from the mall, provided prayers throughout a daily Sunday morning service for victims, first responders and the consumers and staff who “walked out past things they never should have seen.”

“Some of our people were there. Some perhaps in this room. Some of our students were working in those stores and will be changed forever by this,” Caton stated.

Caton provided comparable sentiments throughout a Sunday night time vigil on the church attended by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed legal guidelines easing firearms restrictions following previous mass shootings in Texas, and different elected leaders. Earlier that day, Abbott stated on Fox News that Texas wouldn’t enact gun management now.

“People want a quick solution,” Abbott stated. “The long term solution here is to address the mental health issue.”

The assault unfolded at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling out of doors procuring middle. Witnesses reported seeing kids among the many victims. Some stated additionally they noticed what gave the impression to be a police officer and a mall safety guard unconscious on the bottom.

Andria Gaither, the assistant supervisor on the Tommy Hilfiger clothes retailer, stated Sunday she was in the back of the shop Saturday afternoon when she noticed two younger women attempting to cover in a dressing room. At first, she thought they had been enjoying. Then she heard one say photographs had been being fired.

Gaither regarded round to see prospects and the shop supervisor operating to the again of the shop. Eventually, Gaither and the others ran out a again door.

“As soon as I got outside the back of the store, you could hear the shooting,” Gaither stated Sunday. “It was so loud. I’d never ever heard anything like that in my life. It was deafening.”

Allen, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas and with a inhabitants of about 105,000 residents, is among the many Dallas-Fort Worth space’s various suburbs. The space noticed the most important Asian American progress price of any main U.S. metro space, in keeping with U.S. Census figures. Those statistics present Allen’s inhabitants is about 19% Asian, 10% Black and 11% Hispanic.

Allen is also linked to a different of Texas’ latest mass shootings. Patrick Crusius lived there in 2019 earlier than he posted a racist screed on-line that warned of a “Hispanic invasion” and drove to El Paso, the place he opened fireplace at a Walmart, killing 23. Crusius, 24, pleaded responsible to federal hate crime and weapons expenses in February.

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Balsamo reported from Washington, and Stengle reported from Dallas. Associated Press writers Vanessa Alvarez in New York, James Vertuno in Austin, Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas, Gene Johnson in Seattle and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.

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