New York, NY – A man from North Texas has filed a lawsuit against multiple media outlets, including Fox News, for defamation after being wrongly identified as a neo-Nazi mass shooter at an outlet mall in May 2023. The incident occurred at the Allen Premium Outlets just north of Plano, where eight people were killed and seven injured by a white supremacist gunman. The shooter, who was killed by a police officer, had Nazi tattoos and was wearing a tactical vest with a Right Wing Death Squad patch during the attack.
The victim of mistaken identity, another Mauricio Garcia from Dallas County, was wrongly linked to the violence by various national media organizations in their coverage of the tragedy. The lawsuit alleges that these outlets failed to verify the accuracy of the information and published the innocent man’s photo, branding him as a mass murderer. Attorney Mark Bankston, representing Garcia, has filed a 29-page lawsuit in Travis County District Court against Fox News, Newsmax, Univision, Timcast, Steven Crowder, Owen Shroyer, Simon Ateba, and Hollywood Unlocked for falsely portraying his client as the shooter.
Among the accused outlets are Newsmax shows “The Balance with Eric Bolling” and “Greg Kelly Reports,” which used Garcia’s image to identify the killer. The lawsuit also names the right-wing internet show “Louder with Crowder,” hosted by Stephen Crowder, for displaying the plaintiff’s photo and alleging his involvement in the shooting. Despite evidence proving Garcia’s innocence, some outlets continued to publish false information, leading to reputational harm and mental anguish for the wrongly accused individual.
The lawsuit seeks over $1 million in damages for defamation per se and aims to highlight the failure of American media organizations to uphold journalistic standards. According to the legal filing, the case reflects a broader issue of media dysfunction, exacerbated by cost-cutting measures and the rise of hyper-politicized alternative outlets. The accused media companies have yet to respond to the allegations as of the time of publication.
Overall, the lawsuit underscores the importance of accurate reporting and the potential consequences of spreading false information, especially in cases of misidentification that can have severe repercussions on innocent individuals. The legal action taken by Mauricio Garcia serves as a reminder for media outlets to exercise caution and diligence in their reporting practices to avoid harming the lives and reputations of individuals unjustly implicated in tragic events.