The man who fatally shot eight people — half of whom were of Asian descent — and wounded seven others during a mass shooting at a mall in Allen, Texas, earlier this month allegedly harbored intense anti-Asian sentiments, according to a new report.
The findings: Research group GNET’s analysis of Mauricio Garcia’s notes — shared on Russian site OK.ru — highlights his apparent anti-Asian racism, extreme self-loathing and misogyny, and a rejection of his own Hispanic identity.
Anti-Asian bigotry: The shooter expressed widespread bigotry against Asians, stereotyping East Asian men as undesirable and timid and blaming them for COVID-19. He also frequently used anti-Muslim slurs against South Asians, notably Indians and Arabs.
The victims: Among the victims killed were Kyu Song Cho, Cindy Cho, their 3-year-old son James and Aishwarya Thatikonda. Another victim, Irvin Walker, survived after being shot three times but sustained extensive injuries.
Context and significance: The perpetrator’s internalized racism and his white supremacist leanings, despite being a person of color, underscore the complex dynamics of racism in America. The case presents another instance of anti-Asian violence amidst a larger trend of anti-Asian hate crimes in recent years.
Police said they are still working to discern a motive behind the shooting. Meanwhile, the academic community is expected to further study Garcia’s journal entries to better understand his psychological state.
