The man who shot and killed eight people at a Texas mall on Saturday, despite being of Hispanic descent, had a Nazi tattoo and posted racist beliefs online.
Mauricio Garcia, 33, expressed his hatred of women, Jews and “diversity” and made references to far-right militants on Russian social media OK.RU before launching his attack. He also uploaded pictures of his weapons, including a Nazi cross tattooed on his chest and a Waffen SS insignia on his forearm.
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On the other hand, this page called “PsycoVision5” features a smiley face with a Hitler mustache that does not indicate that he belongs to or supports a group. On Saturday, he opened fire at a shopping mall in Allen, South America, killing eight people, including three children, before being shot by a police officer.
Police would not comment
According to MSNBC, investigators are reviewing documents he posted online, but police have so far declined to comment on his motive or ideology. In his writings, he described himself as an “incel,” short for “involuntarily celibate,” referring to men who become hostile to women after romantic or sexual frustrations. “That’s my kind of guy,” he said, alongside photos of neo-Nazi groups.
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His Nazi sympathies have raised questions given his Hispanic background. “Nazi and white supremacist movements are not simply a race issue,” Cynthia Miller-Idris, an expert on extremist movements at American University, recalled on Twitter.
He added that people from minorities “may be attracted to other aspects of their beliefs, such as misogyny or the supremacy of Christianity.” On Monday, the Pentagon revealed that he was discharged from the US Army in 2008, three months after being recruited and before completing his classes. According to a source cited by US media, he has been excluded due to mental health issues.
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