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Two victims who were killed at a Texas shopping centre after a suspected neo-Nazi sympathiser opened fire, killing at least eight people on Saturday, have been named.

Security guard Christian LaCour, 20, and Aishwarya Thatikonda, a 27-year-old engineer from India, were among the victims killed at Allen Premium Outlets shopping centre, in a suburb north of Dallas, according to their families and a non-profit group supporting them.

The gunman, named by police as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, was armed with an AR-15 style assault weapon and was shot dead by an officer at the scene on Saturday afternoon.

Mr LaCour’s grandmother named the security guard as a victim of the shooting and described her grandson as “such a beautiful soul”, according to a post on Facebook.

Sandra Montgomery wrote: “He was such a beautiful soul, 20 years old with goals for his future I was so proud of him and so glad I got to see him two weeks ago.”

“Please pray for my family”, she added: “I know they are very close and this is almost unbearable”.

Ms Thatikonda’s death was confirmed by the Telugu Association of North America, a non-profit group that serves the Telugu community, and is assisting her family.

The representative said Ms Thatikonda’s family will have her remains sent to India, Sky News’s US partner, NBC News reported.

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Moment Texas gunman opens fire

US President Joe Biden confirmed that the victims included children. Authorities have not yet formally released the identities of the victims.

Garcia is said to have been wearing a tactical vest and was equipped with a handgun during the shooting, as officials continue to investigate the motive.

Dashcam footage from the scene showed the gunman stepping out of a vehicle and firing outside the shopping centre, sending hundreds of shoppers fleeing in panic.

Read more:
Biden makes fresh call for ban on assault weapons

Garcia, who lived in Dallas, is believed to have interacted with neo-Nazi and white supremacist content online, as well as posting such content, two senior police sources told NBC News.

According to officers, an initial review of what are believed to be his social media accounts revealed hundreds of posts about ethnicity and race, including what is being described as violent extremist rhetoric. Authorities also found a clothing patch with a far-right acronym on his chest.

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Witnesses describe horrific shooting in Texas

The patch included the letters RWDS, believed to stand for Right Wing Death Squad, according to CBS, who cited two senior police sources.

Right Wing Death Squad are said to be a neo-Nazi group.

Officials said they were investigating whether the shooting was racially or ethnically motivated, but stressed that the investigation was ongoing and at an early stage.

Read more from Sky News:
America’s 10 most deadly mass shootings of 2023

On Sunday, Mr Biden renewed calls for Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as to enact universal background checks and end immunity for gun manufacturers.

He noted that Garcia had been wielding an AR-15 rifle and wearing tactical gear.

The killings were the latest in at least 199 mass shootings that have occurred in the United States so far in 2023, according to the non-profit group Gun Violence Archive.

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US and EU agree trade deal, says Donald Trump

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US and EU agree trade deal, says Donald Trump

The United States and European Union have agreed a trade deal, says Donald Trump.

The announcement was made as the US president met European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at one of his golf resorts in Scotland.

Speaking after talks in Turnberry, Mr Trump said the EU deal was the “biggest deal ever made” and it will be “great for cars”.

The US will impose 15% tariffs on EU goods into America, after Mr Trump had threatened a 30% levy.

He said there will be an EU investment of $600bn in the US, the bloc will buy $750bn in US energy and will also purchase US military equipment.

Mr Trump had earlier said the main sticking point was “fairness”, citing barriers to US exports of cars and agriculture.

He went into the talks demanding fairer trade with the 27-member EU and threatening steep tariffs to achieve that, while insisting the US will not go below 15% import taxes.

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For months, Mr Trump has threatened most of the world with large tariffs in the hope of shrinking major US trade deficits with many key trading partners, including the EU.

Ms von der Leyen said the agreement would include 15% tariffs across the board, saying it would help rebalance trade between the two large trading partners.

In case there was no deal and the US had imposed 30% tariffs from 1 August, the EU has prepared counter-tariffs on €93bn (£81bn) of US goods.

Ahead of their meeting on Sunday, Ms von der Leyen described Mr Trump as a “tough negotiator and dealmaker”.

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Michigan: 11 people stabbed in US supermarket – with six in critical condition

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Michigan: 11 people stabbed in US supermarket - with six in critical condition

At least 11 people have been stabbed at a Walmart supermarket in Michigan, with six in a critical condition.

Officials say a suspect is in custody – and at this stage, it is believed the attack was a “random act” that involved a folding-style knife near the checkout area.

Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters: “Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn’t more.”

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Pic: AP

The suspect, who is from Michigan, is not known to police – and was captured within three minutes thanks to “citizen involvement”.

The attack unfolded in Traverse City – and Tiffany DeFell, who was in the car park at the time, described scenes of chaos.

“It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,” she said. “This is something you see out of the movies.”

Beyond the six people in a critical condition, it is believed the remaining five were seriously hurt. All 11 are still being treated in hospital.

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Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said: “Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.”

A Walmart spokesperson added that the retailer is working closely with law enforcement.

“Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we’re thankful for the swift action of first responders,” a statement said.

Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

At this stage, the ages of the victims is unclear – but it is not thought any of the victims were Walmart employees.

Traverse City is about 255 miles northwest of Detroit.

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Plane plunges 300ft in 36 seconds to avoid another aircraft

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Plane plunges 300ft in 36 seconds to avoid another aircraft

A US passenger plane made a dramatic plunge minutes after take-off to dodge another aircraft – injuring two cabin crew and causing passengers to shoot out of their seats.

The Southwest flight had just taken off from Burbank in California when the pilot received an alert about a nearby plane.

Data from FlightAware shows the aircraft dropped by 91m (300ft) in just 36 seconds. Those on board said they felt panicked, and some feared the plane was about to crash.

Comedian Jimmy Dore posted on X: “Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid mid-air collision … myself and plenty of people flew out of their seats and bumped heads on ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention.”

Stef Zambrano saw a woman who wasn’t wearing her seatbelt thrown out of her seat, who then said: “I want to get off this plane. I want to be on the ground.”

Another passenger, Steve Ulasewicz, told NBC Los Angeles that it felt like the plane was in freefall for 10 seconds.

“People were screaming. You know, it was pandemonium. People thought the plane was going down,” he added.

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The aircraft was able to continue to its destination of Las Vegas, where it safely landed without any further incident.

It is believed the Boeing 737 was in the same vicinity as a Hawker Hunter Mk. 58, a British fighter jet.

Southwest is now working with the Federal Aviation Administration “to further understand the circumstances” of the event.

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January: Footage of Washington plane crash

This is the second time in a week that a passenger plane has had to make abrupt flight manoeuvres to avoid a potential mid-air collision.

Concerns have been raised about aviation safety in the US following a series of recent incidents.

In January, a mid-air collision in Washington DC killed 67 people.

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