TX - Active shooter at Allen Shopping Mall, multiple victims, 6 May 2023

[MyBelle]

<modsnip - quoted post was general gun control discussion>
He was removed from the US Army in 2008 over mental health issues.

Allen, Texas mall shooter was removed from Army over mental health concerns: law enforcement sources

Suspected shooter Mauricio Garcia posted neo-Nazi material on social media before killing eight people and injuring seven more at Allen Premium Outlets, law enforcement sources said. An on-duty security guard is among those killed.

abc11.com

To me, that is a HUGE red flag. Not sure why this information was not available to prevent him from getting a job involvig guns or prevent him from legally buying guns and ammo. JMO.

It's a huge red flag for me, too. Although I'm not so sure his guns were obtained legally. LE is remaining very tight-lipped about it.

JMO

 

[x_files]

I posted the CNN link last night, an interview with a local Texas "educator" is the term they used to describe her current occupation. She is ex FBI. She suggested 2 things that she always does when she goes shopping.

1. Make it a practice to never have the door at your back. Always shop with this in mind, where you can see the door

2. She never uses her cell phone between the exit of the mall or store and her parking spot.. ie until she gets to her vehicle. Stay aware, don't be distracted.

wise words, sad that we have to live in a potential WARZONE.

 

[Balthazar]

I am pretty sure that one must be declared mentally unfit by a judge before being placed on the "no buy" list.

Likewise, I suspect that a discharge for mental health reasons by the military can be a catch all term for any number of discipline issues. It does not always mean a formal diagnosis of a mental illness.

He failed the military mental health exam. To me, failing his kind of screening should lead to further examination to identify people who are at risk of doing something terrible. The time to catch these types of criminals is in high school or when they enter the military or enter college BEFORE something awful happens.

 

[x_files]

It is a crying shame that we need instructions on how to safely go shopping here in the US. I’ll admit that I’m nervous natured, but truly for the past couple of weeks when I need to go shopping, I have to actively try to block the little voice that says, “this could be it- your last day.”
I do not feel safe anymore.
IME

I shop online now and try to only go out for essentials. I do miss the days of feeling somewhat safer before daily mass shootings.

 

[x_files]

He failed the military mental health exam. To me, failing his kind of screening should lead to further examination to identify people who are at risk of doing something terrible. The time to catch these types of criminals is in high school or when they enter the military or enter college BEFORE something awful happens.

AGREED!
Just setting him back into society when they could have held/involuntarily committed him, infuriates me. If he is too unstable to serve, how is he stable enough to legally own guns and work as a SECURITY OFFICER?! The system is horribly broken. The military needs to step up.

 

[Balthazar]

It's a huge red flag for me, too. Although I'm not so sure his guns were obtained legally. LE is remaining very tight-lipped about it.

JMO

That's what I suspect. JMO.

 

[x_files]

Its not much, but later last night I was watching MSNBC and they specifically mentioned this language from the presser- the lack of the use of the terms shooting or guns. Their perspective was that it was very intentional, and we should expect more of it in the future.

Especially from Texas. They want to control the narrative. IMHO.

 

[x_files]

First I'm hearing of it. Don't you sort of have to be white, to be a white surpremacist?
It sounds like one heck of a bizarre oxymoron to me.

The leader of the Proud Boys is non-white and yet wants White Supremacy it is odd to me as well.

 

[PrairieWind]

Why should it require legislation? The FBI already has a national database called NICS. Failing a military mental health evaluation is a significant matter of public safety which is why he was discharged. I'm appalled the shooter was able to get a job in security.

The Air Force didn't flag the shooter of the Sutherland Springs Church even though they not only knew of his conviction for domestic violence, they knew he had made threats.

Sutherland Springs shooting victims reach tentative $144.5 million settlement with U.S. government

The U.S. Department of Justice also agreed to drop its appeal of a lawsuit in which a judge found the military mostly at fault for the 2017 mass shooting at a church.

www.texastribune.org

Was DOD required to notify the FBI? What about this failed mental health eval disqualified this person from possessing a firearm?

 

[Cryptic]

He failed the military mental health exam. The time to catch these types of criminals is in high school or when they enter the military or enter college BEFORE something awful happens.

Though I agree that the best time to catch these types is early, he may not of failed the mental health exam.

He was evidently allowed to enlist. The military tries to identify and eliminate formal mental health failures at the recruiter's office and during medical screenings at at 'MEPs'.

One source says he was booted out after 3 months. This would have him completing basic training (probably marginally) and then being discharged early into his AIT specialty training.

As a result, I think his mental health discharge could well of been under the broader and fuzzier- "problem person" type rather than failing a key examination

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

BBM. Those "leaders" are elected by the people. If they are incapable of respecting science and research data, they shouldn't be in office. There are several common sense gun control laws that do work. Background checks, Red Flag laws, etc. I am appalled that the "Dickey Amendment" was ever passed but now that I know about it, I will never again vote for a politician who prioritizes gun ownership over the lives of families.

Snipped by me for focus.

Hang on, I'm confused. In the post you quoted, you bolded the following sentence:

"The leaders earnestly pushing "mental health" as a solution after every shooting will never consent to taking young men into custody before the mass murders just because they look or act weird."

And your reply is above. Are you saying that young men who act "weird" should be in custody to prevent mass shootings? I want to make sure I'm not misunderstanding because I agree with you regarding the Dickey Amendment, which is something physicians fought for years. But I don't think the answer is taking people into custody just because they're deemed to be strange. It's illegal (and should be, IMO).

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Heartbreaking details from the article..


"After being released from the ICU, their six year old son William is the only surviving member of this horrific event."

That poor child, imagine what he saw.

Enough is enough.

 

[Cryptic]

The leader of the Proud Boys is non-white and yet wants White Supremacy it is odd to me as well.

Thinking he is far more into right wing ideology than he is white supremacy. One need not be white to be right wing.

 

[x_files]

The tattoo on his hand is probably just the city of Dallas logo.

That is truly a strange thing to tattoo on one's hand!

 

[MyBelle]

I am pretty sure that one must be declared mentally unfit by a judge before being placed on the "no buy" list.

Likewise, I suspect that a discharge for mental health reasons by the military can be a catch all term for any number of discipline issues. It does not always mean a formal diagnosis of a mental illness.

The news articles have said the shooter failed the mental health evaluation and that's why he was discharged. If the military discharged the shooter because he was found to be mentally unfit, they should be required to notify the FBI's national database. We still don't know if his weapons were purchased legally nor do we know why he no longer worked for the security firm.

It's possible this shooter studied other mass shootings. The Pulse night club shooter also worked for a security company. The security company itself was sued but a judge threw out the lawsuit.

The part I highlighted really bothers me. G4S was the security firm. Did the Allen shooter also fail a mental health evaluation when he obtained his security job?

jmo

https://www.courthousenews.com/pulse-nightclub-shooting-survivors-cant-sue-security-company/

G4S also submitted a “fraudulent psychological evaluation” to the state so Mateen could acquire the Class G gun license needed for security, court documents state. After Mateen had his license, G4S gave him firearms training.

 

[Cryptic]

Just setting him back into society when they could have held/involuntarily committed him

In all probability, the US military (as opposed to say, the Russian military) cannot do that.

The US military serves a democratic society. That means that servicemen have near identical rights as civilians. Involuntary commitment could well require a Court order in the military- as it does for civilians.

 

[x_files]

Thinking he is far more into right wing ideology than he is white supremacy. One need not be white to be right wing.

That makes much more sense.

 

[Stunned]

Making your friend list private is one thing, but to post hundreds of posts, pictures, etc., and have zero likes, shares or comments is pretty much unheard of. Even more so if you're some sort of extremist. Social media is ground zero for people to find things to either promote or argue about, especially when it comes to controversial views. It just seems really weird to me that he had zero interaction on his social media.

What is his FB? I can’t find one that has only hateful posts, unless I got the wrong guy?

 

[x_files]

In all probability, the US military (as opposed to say, the Russian military) cannot do that.

The US military serves a democratic society. That means that servicemen have near identical rights as civilians. Involuntary commitment could well require a Court order in the military- as it does for civilians.

Even if found mentally unstable? a danger to others?

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

JMO-
If you know someone unstable with guns- call the cops, call the ATF, get them committed for eval.
I don’t know what the answer is- but schools all over the nation should not be missing that it is May and we are approaching the one year anniversary of Uvalde.

Snipped for focus. In the majority of states (I believe 47 or 48, though that may have changed recently), you cannot have someone committed for evaluation unless they are at imminent danger of harming themselves or others. Even if they're psychotic. The law is clear about this. You're allowed to be psychotic, delusional, and angry. As long as you're not at imminent danger, you're not allowed to be taken somewhere against your will.

Source: I'm a physician and can commit people, for eval, admission, and for long-term treatment.