It happened again: here are all the mass murders in Texas since 2007
How many mass murders have there been in Texas? In the span of eight days, the state has experienced two such murders, and that’s only scratching the surface.
DALLAS – Mass killings have become almost the order of the day in our country. It seems like every time you turn on the TV, there’s another one. If you’re like us, you’re probably wondering, “How many make them?”
The mass shooting at Allen Outlet was the second in the nation in four days and the eighth in less than a month, two of which occurred in Texas.
Editor’s note: The lead video for this story is taken from a previous report on the state of gun reform in Texas.
USA Today along with Northeastern University and the Associated Press took a deeper look into mass killings across the country since 2006 with all guns in which four or more people, not including accused killers, have died within 24 hours of the incidents.
We took that data and narrowed it down to the state of Texas.
How many mass murders have there been in Texas?
Since 2007, 297 people have died in 47 mass killings in Texas alone. All but three of the incidents were shootings. While some have been committed in drug trafficking or considered gang-related, most have occurred in places where we should feel safe: home, school, shops, and even churches.
These incidents are not unique to big cities. The last two Lone Star State shootings occurred in a small town near Cleveland, Texas, about 50 miles north of Houston, and in Allen, a suburb just north of Dallas.
Recent mass shootings
Texas recently experienced two mass shootings in nine days. Overall, 13 people were killed and seven others were injured.
On May 6, eight people were killed and the lone gunman was killed in a shootout at Allen Premium Outlets. A statement from President Joe Biden said Mauricio Garcia, 33, was “in tactical gear armed with an AR-15-style assault weapon” when he opened fire.
Of the eight victims, two have been identified, Christian LaCour, 20, and Aishwarya Thatikonda, whose age was not immediately known. The six other victims had not been officially identified by law enforcement until Monday, but Biden said in a statement Sunday that the victims included children.
RELATED: What we know about the victims
According to a search warrant obtained exclusively by WFAA, investigators found several handguns, long guns, and ammunition inside Garcia’s gray 2014 Dodge Charger at the scene of the shooting.
The warrant did not list the weapon used.
Sources told ABC News and WFAA that Garcia had been in the US Army in 2008 but was removed due to mental health issues. Sources added that he espoused a far-right ideology and disliked black people and Jews.
According to sources, Garcia was a licensed security guard. He recently worked at an aluminum supplier company.
RELATED: Allen mall shooting suspect identified as Mauricio Garcia, officials say
Just nine days before the Allen murders, on April 28, five people were shot and killed in San Jacinto County by a neighbor armed with an AR-style rifle, investigators said. A 9-year-old boy was also among the victims.
According to authorities, the shooting occurred after the family next door asked Francisco Oropeza, 38, to stop firing shots in his backyard because they were trying to sleep. After several days on the run, Oropeza was arrested and charged in connection with the murders.
Fifteen people were in the house when the accused Oropeza shooter opened fire. Only 10 made it out alive.
Survivor Wilson Garcia said that in the vicinity of homes on 1-acre lots, he could see Oropeza on his porch but couldn’t tell what he was doing. About 20 minutes after returning from Oropeza’s house, Oropeza started running towards him and reloading.
Oropeza walked up to the house and started shooting, officials said.
Four of the victims – Jonathan Cáceres, 18, Diana Velásquez, 21, Sonia Guzmán, 28, and Obdulia Molina, 31 – were pronounced dead at the scene. Nine-year-old Daniel Enrique Lazo died in hospital.
Four days later, suggestions from the public led to Oropeza’s arrest.
RELATED: History | Texas mass shooting suspect Francisco Oropeza jailed on $7.5 million bail after arrest
A timeline: mass killings in Texas since 2007
For more than a decade, mass killings have remained constant in Texas, averaging three per year. In 2022 we had the highest number of mass killings in one year with six accidents and 39 deaths. If we continue at the pace we started in 2023, we will surpass that record. The following timeline outlines each mass killing to include when and where it occurred, as well as how many lives were taken and how many were lucky enough to survive.
Explore the data
Editor’s note: The Associated Press, Northeastern University and USA TODAY contributed data to this story. This will be updated as more data is obtained.
