The Shooting Gallery: Investigators say the killer in Saturday’s shopping mall massacre in Allen, Texas was a fan of Adolph Hitler and a follower of neo-Nazi websites like The Daily Stormer. Mauricio Garcia, 33 was wearing a patch with the initials “RWDS,” which stands for “Right Wing Death Squad. Online photos show that he had a bold swastika tattooed over his left breast and a Nazi “SS” on his right bicep.

 He had been separated from the Army for mental health issues after only three months.

  Garcia opened fire with an assault rifle at the Allen Premium Outlets, an outdoor mall about 25 miles north of Dallas with more than 120 stores. Nine people died in the shooting, including Garcia, who was killed by an off-duty police officer.

  Steven Spainhouer, a former police officer and Army captain, sped to the scene to find his son, who worked in the mall. He told reporters that he found several people on the ground and a child in some bushes, “in a praying position with her head tucked down between her knees.” He said he felt no pulse and when he turned her head, “She had no face.” 

The War Room: Russia attacked Ukraine with missiles today, then celebrated Victory Day, the anniversary of defeating Germany in World War II. In a 10-minute speech Russian President Vladimir Putin cast Ukraine as the villain, accusing them of “pursuing the dissolution and the destruction of our country.”

  Anticipating a Ukrainian counter-offensive, Russian authorities have told remaining residents of occupied areas to evacuate, but many people are not leaving. Instead, the NY Times reports according to conversations with Ukrainians in occupied territory, “gas stations were running dry, grocery store shelves were emptying and A.T.M.s were out of cash.”

  The paper was told that hospitals are being cleared out and the Russians are taking away all the  equipment.

   Russia in the past several days has rained incendiaries on the city of Bakhmut in an effort to level the city they’ve been unable to take on the ground.

  But even while flattening Bakhmut, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner  of the Wagner Group private army, seems to have reversed himself on a threat to abandon the Bakhmut fight for lack of ammunition. Now he says he’s gettg what he needs to continue the fight.

Ask E. Jean: The civil case brought against Donald Trump for rape and defamation by former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll has gone to the jury after closing statements from both sides. 

  Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer for Carroll, said, “Donald Trump’s defense here is essentially that there is a vast conspiracy against him.” 

  Trump never appeared for the trial and his lawyers presented no defense, depending upon the jury to simply disbelieve Carroll. The former advice columnist has said Trump raped her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan and defamed her when she wrote about it 25 years later.

  Trump has called the whole thing a “hoax,” like he has just about every other accusation about his behavior. “It’s the most ridiculous, disgusting story. It’s just made up,” Trump’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, told the jurors.

  In her testimony Carroll delivered an unvarnished description of the incident. Two friends testified that she told them about it at the time, and two other women testified that he sexually assaulted them, establishing it as a pattern of behavior.

  Tacopina said, “This jury is blessed with an abundance of street smarts and we know reality from fiction.”  That cuts both ways.

  Another lawyer for Carroll said about Trump “He just decided not to be here.” Michael Ferrara said, “He never looked you in the eye and denied raping Ms. Carroll,” adding, “You should draw the conclusion that’s because he did it.”

Strike and Counterstrike: Israel says it killed three senior commanders of the militant Islamic Jihad group in airstrikes early today. Palestinian health officials report that 13 people were killed in all, including the Jihad commanders, their wives, several of their children, and others.

  Israel said it was also hitting militant training sites. The Palestinian are expected to retaliate with rockets.

The Obit Page: Joe Kapp, the quarterback who led the Minnesota Vikings to the Super Bowl in 1970 and once threw seven touchdowns in a game, has died at 85 of Alzheimer’s disease, according to Yahoo! Sports. 

  Kapp is the only quarterback to play in the Super Bowl, Rose Bowl, and the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup.

The Spin Rack: George Alvarez of Brownsville, Texas has been charged with eight counts of manslaughter after his SUV slammed into a crowd of migrants over the weekend, killing eight people and injuring 10others. Police say they have not determined whether it was intentional. — On the orders of a judge, Phoenix officials are expected to start tomorrow clearing a downtown area known as the Zone of as many as 1,100 homeless people living in tents and makeshift shelters. They’ve worn out the patience of residents and businesses. — Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has been arrested in a deepening political crisis as the paramilitary government that toppled him entrenches its power. — Flooding in the Congo has killed a reported 400 people and left as many as 3,000 families homeless. — Flight cancelled? The Biden administration is seeking new regulations requiring passengers who are victims of preventable delays and cancelations to be compensated as well as having the airline cover their meals, hotel rooms, and rebooking fees.

Below the Fold: Britain’s King Charles III was crowned King Charles III on Saturday in an elaborate ceremony even though he became King Charles III the moment his mother died last September. Now he’s the King formerly known as Prince.

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