More chillings details have emerged in the Texas Mall shooting, which killed 8 people and left seven others injured. The suspect, 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, was later killed in a shootout with the police. One of the victims has been identified as an engineer from India. Aishwarya Thatikonda was at the mall with her friend when she fell victim to Garcia’s mindless shooting. Meanwhile, more details have emerged on the motive behind Saturday’s genocide.
According to local American news outlet, WFAA, the Indian victim has been identified as Aishwarya Thatikonda, who worked as an engineer in the Dallas suburb of McKinney. There’s no information about her age.
Thatikonda’s friend too sustained injuries and is being treated at a hospital.
Thatikonda’s family is now working with the Indian foreign ministry to bring her body back to India.
Originally from Hyderabad, Thatikonda completed her graduation in civil engineering in India in 2018, before receiving a Master’s degree in construction management from Eastern Michigan University in the US two years later. She found a job with a Dallas-based construction firm, where she’s been working for the last two years.
Little did she or her loved ones realise that America’s gun culture would take her life away in such a brutal fashion.
Motive
After the police killed Gracia, they discovered several handguns, long guns and ammunition in his car at the scene of the shooting.
Another victim of the mass shooting has been identified as Christian LaCour, a security guard.
Though the authorities investigating the mass murder have not revealed the motive behind Saturday’s carnage, there are reports that the federal probe agency is reviewing all social media posts shared by Garcia, expressing interest in white supremacist and neo-Nazi views.
Quoting an official, Canada’s Global News reported that Garcia also had a patch on his chest when he was killed by police that read “RWDS,” an acronym for the phrase “Right Wing Death Squad,” which is popular among right-wing extremists and white supremacy groups.