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Texas Gunman Was Rejected from Army, Had Nazi Tattoos But Purchased AR-15 Legally

HeadlineMay 09, 2023

In Texas, public anger is growing over the lack of information being shared by investigators as they piece together details about the 33-year-old gunman who killed eight people and wounded seven others during a mass shooting in the Dallas suburb of Allen on Saturday. In social media posts, the gunman revealed he had a swastika and an SS symbol tattooed on his body, and he frequently espoused racist views, including praise for Adolf Hitler and other mass killers. In 2008, the gunman joined the U.S. Army but was terminated three months later for unspecified mental health issues. The gunman never faced a background check before legally purchasing firearms from private sellers in Texas, including the AR-15 assault rifle used in the attack.

On Monday, more victims of the massacre were identified. They include Daniela and Sofia Mendoza, two elementary school-age sisters whose mother was shot and remains in critical condition, and Kyu Song and Cindy Cho, a Korean American couple who were killed along with their 3-year-old son James. Their 6-year-old son William has been hospitalized. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have already been 202 mass shootings in the United States this year, on average more than one per day.

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