[5] Martinez Garcia's extensive online writings showed that he self-radicalized, adopting and promoting white supremacist, neo-Nazi, and incel ideologies, and posting hateful comments against women, Jews and racial minorities in the lead-up to the attack.
[10][11] Opened in September 2000, Allen Premium Outlets is a large outdoor mall owned by Simon Property Group.
[13] Allen police chief Brian Harvey said that an officer who was at the mall on an unrelated call, after hearing gunshots, engaged and killed the shooter.
[40] Shortly after graduating Bryan Adams High School in Casa View, Garcia was then enlisted in the U.S. Army in June 2008, but he never completed basic training: he was terminated after three months due to mental health concerns.
[41][42] Because this was an administrative separation, rather than a punitive discharge, Garcia's termination by the Army would not show up on the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
[43] During the attack, Garcia wore a patch with the insignia "RWDS" (standing for "Right Wing Death Squad"), a slogan popular among right-wing extremists and white supremacists.
[5] He praised other mass shooters such as the perpetrators of the 2023 Nashville school shooting and the 2014 Isla Vista killings; uploaded photographs of the outlet mall site three weeks before the attack (including the entrance where he later opened fire, and screenshots of a page showing peak visiting hours for the mall), and fantasized about race wars and the collapse of society.
[53] On May 8, the Texas House of Representatives Select Committee on Community Safety voted, 8–5, to advance a bill to raise the age to buy AR-15-style rifles from 18 to 21, with two Republicans joining all Democrats in support.
Threats had also been made against multiple schools in North Texas after the shooting which at least one student highlighted when speaking about his participation in the walk-out.
[67] On June 26, a grand jury cleared the unnamed officer who fatally shot Garcia of any wrongdoing, saying state law justified the use of force.
[69] As he had done following previous mass shootings, Biden urged Congress to pass an assault weapons ban and enact universal background checks legislation, writing, "Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough.
[71] Abbott said the shooting was an "unspeakable tragedy" and Patrick said, "We are grateful for our brave first responders who were deployed to stop the shooter and investigate this hideous crime.
"[75][76][77][78] Self's remark was criticized;[75][78] for example, Shannon Watts, the founder of the advocacy group Moms Demand Action, responded: "Faith without works is dead.
[79] State senator Roland Gutierrez, whose district includes the site of the Robb Elementary School shooting, called for more gun control, writing, "There is a special place in hell for people who watch all this happen and choose to do nothing.
"[82] Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, Seattle Seahawks safety Steven Terrell, Washington Commanders running back Jonathan Williams, and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike—all alumni of Allen High School—released statements on Twitter.
"[84] Other commentators expressed their outrage at the unfiltered and bloody photos of the deceased victims that spread across Twitter, without any filtering or warnings before a person could view them.
[85] While the images were visible for a period of time at or near the top of search results on the site, they were majorly taken down by May 8, with edited clips of brief frames of the material and links leading to spam websites replacing them.