On Saturday, May 6, the news of yet another mass shooting rocked the nation. At around 3:30 in the afternoon, a gunman arrived at Allen Outlet Mall outside of Dallas and opened fire, killing eight people and injuring seven others. An unnamed police officer in the area for unrelated reasons heard the gunfire and ran to neutralize the threat, saving the lives of countless others in the mall.
What Do We Know About the Suspect?
Police have identified the gunman as 33 year-old Mauricio Garcia. While no official motive for the shooting has yet been established, authorities believe Garcia was heavily influenced by far-right extremist beliefs. Several social media pages belonging to Garcia have been examined, with reports stating that many of his posts referred to his mental health. According to NBC, he wrote in his final post that “no psychologist would have been able to fix him.”
Garcia also had connections to the U.S. Army. He joined in June 2008, but he was discharged “due to mental health concerns” before he completed his basic training. An official from the Defense Department said that Army staff “quickly identified he was a problem” but gave him an uncharacterized discharge, which does not require any type of report to law enforcement.
The Carlson Law Firm Investigating Allen Outlet Mall Shooting
Early information suggests that the suspected mass shooter who killed at least eight people at the outlet mall in Allen, Texas had a mental health related discharge from the U.S. Army in 2008. This information has striking similarities to key facts where the Justice Department agreed to pay a total settlement of $144.5 million to victims of the 2017 mass shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs.
In the Sutherland Springs case, the Air Force failed to report the airman’s violent history to authorities as required under federal law. Thus, the airman’s name did not appear on the registry that would have prevented him from buying the assault rifle he used in that particular mass shooting.
The Carlson Law firm is investigating whether the U.S. Army had similar reporting deficiencies involving the Allen shooter. The U.S. Army recently confirmed that the Allen shooter did not complete his basic training and was discharged three months later pursuant to Army Regulation 635-200 for “other designated physical or mental conditions.” Those conditions can include anything from a phobia to a personality disorder involving significant distress or impairment in functioning. A military commander who is considering discharge of someone under this regulation is required to have the soldier evaluated by a behavior health professional.
The Carlson Law Firm Can Help
We are praying for those who have suffered the loss of the eight victims killed in the mass shooting as well as those who were injured in the attack. This tragic and senseless loss of life is devastating to the families, friends, and communities of the victims.
The Carlson Law Firm has experience in helping victims of mass shootings answer lingering questions about individuals and corporations who may have been able to prevent the tragedy. Our caring and compassionate mass shooting lawyers are ready to listen to and stand with victims during this difficult time. We care. We can help.
