Gunman in Texas mall shooting had 8 legally purchased weapons with him, officials say

ALLEN, Texas — The gunman accused in the mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets brought with him eight legally purchased weapons, authorities said at a news conference Tuesday.

Three of the weapons were on him and five others were in his vehicle at the time of the shooting, said Hank Sibley, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s North Texas regional director. It was unclear where he bought them, or what kind of weapons they were.

The briefing at Allen City Hall was the first time authorities have briefed the public since Saturday’s massacre, when, at two news conferences — opportunities for media to ask for details — officials declined to answer questions.

Only six questions, which spanned about three minutes, were answered Tuesday.

The shooting Saturday about 3:30 p.m. killed eight people and wounded seven others at the mall on West Stacy Road near U.S. Highway 75. Seven people were pronounced dead at the scene including the gunman, who was shot by a police officer. Two others died at the hospital.

Of the seven additional people who were wounded, one was in critical condition, one was in serious condition, two were in fair condition and two were in good condition, Medical City Healthcare said Tuesday morning. It was unclear what hospital the final patient was being treated at or what the condition was.

“The big question that we’re dealing with right now is what’s his motive?” Sibley said. “Why did he do this? Well, the big question is, we don’t know. That’s what the investigation is trying to find out.”

Sibley confirmed, however, that the gunman had a neo-Nazi ideation. He said investigators haven’t found a manifesto yet to his knowledge, but are analyzing the gunman’s cell phone and computer.

A social media profile reviewed by The Dallas Morning News that appeared to be tied to the gunman showed he had espoused an obsession with violence and extremist ideology. Asked whether investigators were aware of a website where the gunman appeared to post photos of a Swastika on his arm, Sibley said officials are aware of the site and are investigating it.

“To me, it looks like he targeted the location rather than a specific group of people,” Sibley said. “He was very random in the people he killed. It didn’t matter the age, same race or sex. He just shot people — which is horrific in itself.”

Authorities also noted warrants were carried out at two locations, which sources previously told The News were a Budget Suites hotel and a home in northeast Dallas. Sibley said the man was not on law enforcement’s radar before the shooting, and stated it’s too early to classify the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism.

Sibley confirmed reports that the gunman was in basic training in the military in 2008, but said officials questioned whether he was fit for duty. He said the gunman also had an expired private security license and worked at multiple private security firms.

The gunman had not previously worked at the Allen Premium Outlets, Sibley said.

Allen police Chief Brian Harvey said the Allen police officer who killed the gunman within 3 to 4 minutes of the first shots demonstrated “tremendous bravery,” but added officials aren’t prepared to release his name.

Sibley said the officer “undoubtedly saved countless lives.”

“If he hadn’t been there,” Sibley said, “I think we’d have had a much more severe situation.”

The victims killed Saturday were identified as Cho Kyu Song, 37; Kang Shin Young, 35; James Cho, 3; Daniela Mendoza, 11; Sofia Mendoza, 8; Christian LaCour, 20; Elio Cumana-Rivas, 32; and Aishwarya Thatikonda, 26.

Harvey thanked LaCour, who was a security guard at the outlets. Harvey said LaCour was able to get one person to safety before he was killed while trying to help others.

“Our community also responded with an overwhelming show of support for the victims, the victims’ families and public safety,” Harvey said. “And we are grateful.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough said the FBI’s victim services team and community partners have provided resources to over 30 families and over 100 people so far. In addition, 1,100 vehicles have been returned to their owners.

Yarbrough said people can retrieve their personal belongings left at the mall at the family assistance center located at the Allen Senior Recreation Center, 451 St. Mary Drive. The center will be open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Now that investigators have finished processing the crime scene, property managers will decide when to reopen the mall.

The investigation is ongoing and now being led by the Texas Rangers. DPS had previously taken over for local police.