Mauricio García, 33, was identified by US media as the perpetrator of the shooting at a mall in Allen, Texas, that left at least 8 people dead and several injured.

García was killed by police and is under investigation for ties to the ideology of white supremacy. This was confirmed by The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, citing police sources familiar with the investigation.

The attacker killed eight people and wounded seven others after opening fire on dozens of people shopping at the Premium Outlets in Allen, a city near Dallas, Texas. He used an AR-15 rifle in the attack, one of the most popular in the United States and has been used in several massacres.

Multiple victims leave shooting at Texas mall

According to the aforementioned newspaper, the attacker was carrying more weapons, was wearing a bulletproof vest and was carrying a lot of ammunition. More than 100 fired cartridges were found at the crime scene.

Authorities searched a hotel where he is believed to be staying and found more ammunition there. According to CBS News, his parents’ house was searched and García was told that he worked as a security guard.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is leading the investigation and has asked witnesses with digital evidence of the shooting to submit information.

President Joe Biden declared five days of national mourning after the shooting this Sunday, “as a mark of respect for the victims of senseless acts of violence.”

He ordered the flag of the United States to fly at half-mast at the White House, on all public buildings and grounds, on all military posts and naval stations, as well as embassies and other official facilities abroad, “until sundown on May 11,” he explained.

The president again asked Congress to take action to stop the “weapons epidemic”. “Once again I ask Congress to send me a bill that would ban assault weapons and large magazines,” he said.

Biden also asked that the law include measures such as universal background checks, the requirement of safe storage of guns or ending the immunity of gun manufacturers.

“We need more action and more speed to save lives. Too many families have empty chairs at their dinner table (…) and Republican congressmen can no longer face this epidemic with a shrug,” he said.

“The leading cause of death for American children is gun violence,” Biden added in the statement, after learning that at least one of the victims of the Allen massacre is a five-year-old boy.