The 33-year-old gunman responsible for the mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets in Texas, Mauricio Garcia, is believed to have been inspired by the anti-LGBTQ+ Libs of TikTok social media account. Authorities are investigating an OK.RU profile, believed to be Garcia’s, which includes racist and misogynist content, as well as references to the controversial account. The shooting left eight people dead and at least seven injured, with victims ranging in ages from five to 61.
Connecting the Dots: Gunman’s Social Media Trail
Aric Toller, director of training and research for the independent investigative journalism collective Bellingcat, identified the OK.RU profile believed to be Garcia’s and posted screenshots of the disturbing content. Among the white supremacist ideology and calls for violence, UC Berkeley Human Rights Center researcher Brian Nguyen discovered a post crediting Libs of TikTok for inspiring harassment of a former teacher by performing Nazi salutes and praising Hitler.
The Controversial Libs of TikTok Account
Libs of TikTok, run by former Brooklyn real estate agent Chaya Raichik, has gained 1.9 million followers on Twitter by falsely accusing LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies of “grooming” children for abuse. Raichik’s posts have led to death threats against medical professionals and rescue shelters, armed protesters at drag events, and the harassment and firing of LGBTQ+ allied teachers.