Texas police released the bodycam footage from last month's deadly mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets that killed eight people including three children. The chilling five-minute clip captures the horrifying moments as gunman Mauricio Martinez Garcia, 33, a white supremacist, opened fire at innocent shoppers.
The footage captured on the bodycam of the first officer who responded to the incident and shows the chaos that unfolded as the officer heard the first shots ring out, prompting a dramatic chase that ended with him fatally shooting Garcia within less than four minutes. Garcia, who lived in Dallas, was armed with an "AR-15 style assault weapon," as he mercilessly opened fire on unsuspecting shoppers.
Chilling Final Moments
The video clip opens with one officer seen engaged in a lighthearted conversation with a mother and her two children, discussing the significance of wearing seatbelts. However, the mood quickly changes as the sound of rapid gunfire becomes audible in the background.
"This video shows how quickly a routine interaction with the public turned into a life-and-death situation," Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said in a press release.
The officer soon realizes that something is wrong and an active shooter may be somewhere near. The officer quickly takes a rifle from his patrol car and urgently instructs civilians to "get moving."
He then proceeds to sprint around the parking lot of the mall, with the sound of gunfire intensifying. In the midst of the chaos, the officer exclaims, "We've got a mass shooter," while vehicles and pedestrians frantically flee the scene.
Approximately three-and-a-half minutes after the initial gunfire erupted, the officer, armed with his weapon, confronts the gunman. He engages in a firefight, exchanging multiple rounds of gunfire and firing over a dozen shots in the process.
"Shots fired by police. I got him down!" the officer said into his radio.
Another officer rushed to the scene, confirming that the suspect was neutralized.
"The officer recognized the danger, ran toward the gunfire and neutralized the threat—and for his actions, the Allen community is forever grateful," Harvey said.
Deadly Act of Violence
Following the mass shooting, police said that Garcia did not have a serious criminal past and was employed as a security guard. However, it is unclear where he worked as a security guard.
Detectives investigating the also found potential connections between Garcia and radical ideologies after the suspect was found with a patch on his chest that appeared to have white supremacist or neo-Nazi leanings, according to the Washington Post.
According to two senior law enforcement sources, a preliminary investigation of what is thought to be the shooter's social media accounts reveals hundreds of posts that contain racially or ethnically driven violent extremist speech, including neo-Nazi material and material endorsing white supremacy.
Garcia also left a bizarre voicemail on his cell phone in which he complained or made jokes about money and paying his phone bill, according to reports. A search of his mobile phone revealed that he had a strange voicemail on his phone.
Garcia's customized message asks his parents for money instead of the customary "leave your name and number" and stresses to his provider that his cell phone bill is already paid.
The voice message also maked fun of the federal government for not giving him enough financial along with a jab at the deceased Dallas resident's acquaintances who may have owed him money.
"Hi, this is Mauricio. If you're the phone company, I already sent the money. If you're my parents, please send money," the message begins.
He continued: "If you're my financial aid institution, you didn't lend me enough money. If you are my friend, you owe me money."
The suspect, who until recently continued to live with his parents, in a prompt to the ladies, says, "Don't worry, I have plenty of money" in the voicemail.
The Texas Online Private Security database shows that Garcia was authorized to work as a commissioned security guard in the state from April 2016 to April 2020 and had three prior jobs before his license expired.
According to records, he received proficiency training in firearms in 2015 and completed additional firearms training in 2018. DPS, which manages the database, immediately disqualifies applicants who have committed specific violent offenses.
Besides the AR-15 rifle, he used to carry out the massacre, more weapons and ammunition were found in Garcia's car, a source told NBC News. The gunman was wearing a patch on his chest with a right-wing acronym at the time of the massacre.
However, Garcia's neighbors said that they had never seen him carrying a firearm at his parent's home and that they had no memories of him being involved in any incidents.
Six of those killed in the incident outside the mall were dead on the scene. According to Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd, nine more victims were taken to the hospital, where two eventually died from their injuries.
According to officials, the age of the injured varied from 5 to 61. Three patients were believed to be in fair condition, while three others were still described as being in serious condition.
