ALLEN, Texas (KXAN) — Investigators revealed Tuesday they found eight guns on the shooter who targeted shoppers at a north Texas outlet mall this past weekend, noting that he “legally obtained” all the weapons.
Hank Sibley, a regional director for the Texas Department of Public Safety, shared that information during an update Tuesday afternoon from Allen, where eight people died Saturday after that mass shooting. Sibley said the shooter had three guns on his person and another five in his vehicle.
He also announced investigators have cleared the crime scene at the Allen Premium Outlets and returned it to management.
On Monday evening, authorities identified all the victims who died. They ranged in age from three to 37.
The Associated Press reported that federal agents have been reviewing social media accounts they believe the suspect, Mauricio Garcia, 33, used and posts that expressed interest in white supremacist and neo-Nazi views, an official told AP. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Sibley said Tuesday the Texas Rangers are now handling the investigation into the deadly shooting. However, the FBI is going through the shooter’s electronics, social media and other belongings to try to determine a motive, which investigators said remained unclear at this time. Sibley noted the shooter “had neo-Nazi ideation,” including having patches and tattoos.
The attacker also previously held a private security license in the state, according to DPS. However, the agency shared that license had expired, and the suspect was not working as a security guard at the time of the shooting. Sibley also said the shooter had never worked as a security guard at the Allen outlet mall.
Chief Brian Harvey with the Allen Police Department did not release the name of his officer who shot and killed the suspect Saturday, citing the ongoing investigation. He, however, said the officer appreciates the privacy at this time.
Chad Yarbrough, the FBI special agent in charge of the Dallas field office, said Tuesday that victim services teams provided resources to more than 30 families since this weekend. He also said teams escorted close to 1,100 people to retrieve vehicles left at the outlet mall since Saturday.