Social media posts viewed by NBC 5 Investigates raise questions about whether the shooter was scouting the Allen Premium Outlets mall in the months before the attack. Meanwhile, NBC 5 Investigates is learning more about the suspect’s brief time in the U.S. Army and evidence authorities are gathering in hopes of learning more about what motivated the shooting.
The gunman who opened fire at a Dallas-area outlet mall, killing eight people and wounding several others, was forced out of the military 15 years ago because of mental health concerns, including his difficulty coping with stressful changes, according to two U.S. officials.
After the gunman, Mauricio Garcia, entered basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, in June 2008, Army officials were concerned about his mental health early on and said he also had an adjustment disorder, the officials said. An adjustment disorder is characterized by significant emotional distress and is a common mental health disorder among active duty service members.
the gunman, then 18, was supposed to be training to become an infantry soldier, but he was expelled within three months without completing training, the officials said. He was removed prior to receiving rifle training, according to the officials.
While in the Army, the gunman never communicated a threat publicly or engaged in a crime, and officials say they believed at the time that they didn't have any requirement to notify authorities about their concerns.
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What motivated the shooter, 33, to bring multiple weapons, including an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, to Allen Premium Outlets in Allen on Saturday afternoon and indiscriminately shoot at shoppers remains under investigation. Among those killed during the roughly four-minute rampage were a 3-year-old boy and his parents.
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