Texas mall shooting: New info expected, suspect evidence revealed

and to everyone out there. I mean, we expect to learn a lot more today about this shooting. You mentioned DPS Suzanne, the Department of Public Safety is in charge of this investigation, and they're gonna hold a press conference today, which by the way is the first one since this shooting happened three days ago. And of course, we'll keep you updated as to all of the information that we learn, including a number of questions that we continue to have and continue to ask DPS about and have over the last 72 hours. So we've been trying of course, to get that information from them, but the area where police are gonna have this is here at the Allen Premium outlets, and of course we'll bring that to you. But you can also see that the mall's parking lot, it's now mostly cleared out. It is a far different scene from the hundreds of cars that had been left here behind over the weekend, driving by the H&M store.

We also saw that they had boarded up windows. Investigators are allowing people back into the area to pick up their vehicles. On each vehicle, there was a flyer with information about counseling services. Now it's not just cars. I mean, people left their personal belongings behind as they rushed to get to safety. So anything in open areas at the mall, like sidewalks or outdoor seating areas, that all can be picked up at the Allen Senior Recreation Center. Items left behind in stores and restaurants will be distributed according to each businesses, lost and found policy by the way.

Governor Abbott, he was asked about this shooting during a separate news conference yesterday. He says he believes in the coming days, the public will be much better informed about why and how this happened. And of course, that's one of the things that we expect to learn today. From this press conference, as I mentioned, we expect that to happen sometime today. We are not sure of the time they have not told us any more details besides that. So of course, we are gonna air it live here in WFAA. We'll also have it on our WFAA.

com and WFAA app. But for now, let's send it to Chris Sadegui for as much more information that we've obtained about the suspect in this case, Chris. Yes, Megan, with each day, we've learned a little bit more about the identified gunman, including now what police found in his hotel room and what law enforcement is saying about him according to an internal memo obtained by WFAA. This is that bulletin being circulated among law enforcement agencies. It says a review of the subject's social media accounts revealed hundreds of postings and images, including writings with racially and ethnically motivated violent extremist rhetoric, including neo-Nazi material and material espousing the supremacy of the white race. We knew that within hours of the shooting, FBI agents were searching a room at the budget suites of America on North Stimmins in Dallas. That's where Mauricio Garcia was living.

Now we know what they found. It includes, according to the search warrant return, various gun accessories, including boxes of ammo, a receipt for a magazine extension, a rifle, handguard, plus a knife, tactical vest, and two black hats, one saying killing it, and another said security. Now coming up in 30 minutes, I'll have more on his military service and why it came to an end, and also some new information that suggests he was focusing on the Allen outlets even weeks before the attack. Mark and Kara, back to you. Okay, Chris, thank you for that. And of course, we do plan to carry today's news conference with DPS on our air. We will send an alert via the WFA app as soon as it begins.

This has been understandably difficult on the North Texas community, especially Collin County, and many parents chose to keep their children at home from school to begin the week. Allen ISD tells us 79% of enrolled students were at school yesterday compared to 95% last week. The district says it plans to excuse those absences. We'll check in for today's attendance numbers later in the day. And if you would like to help out in this moment, you can scan the QR code there that you see on your screen. It'll take you to a link where you can make donations. Communities Foundation of Texas says all of that money donated will be directed to local nonprofits providing resources to the victims.

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