Texas shooting suspect fired from US military

The man suspected of having opened fire on Saturday in a Texas shopping center, killing eight people, had been expelled in 2008 from the American army, after less than three months of exercise, said Monday May 8 a door- word of the Pentagon. The shooter, shot by a police officer during the shooting, has been identified as Mauricio Garcia, a 33-year-old man from Dallas.

He joined the army “in June 2008, and was fired three months later without having completed his initial training”, said the US military, adding that the man had not been deployed in the field or decorated. The reasons for his hasty departure were not disclosed.

The authorities also declined to comment on the suspected affiliation of the suspect to far-right groups, as reported by some media. A police source, however, confirmed that these elements came from a leaked investigation document.

During this massacre, three children were killed, including a 3-year-old boy and his two parents, according to American media. Only his 6-year-old brother survived. Two sisters aged 8 and 11, a 20-year-old security guard and a 26-year-old engineer are also among the victims.

With more firearms in circulation than people, the United States has the highest firearm death figures of any developed country: 49,000 in 2021, compared to 45,000 in 2020.