A man filed a lawsuit Friday against Fox News and several other media outlets for allegedly being incorrectly identified as the shooter in a mass shooting, Law & Crime reported.
A Dallas County resident has filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News and various alternative media outlets after he was mistakenly identified as a neo-Nazi involved in a mass shooting at a Texas outlet mall. The misidentification occurred after 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia shot and killed eight people, including a family of four, and injured seven others at Allen Premium Outlets on May 6, 2023. The actual perpetrator, who was killed by police at the scene, was said to be a known white supremacist. according to To law and crime.
However, another person, also named Mauricio Garcia, 36, claimed that his image was mistakenly broadcast and used by multiple media organizations, damaging his reputation by portraying him as the perpetrator. The newspaper said Garcia maintains he had nothing to do with the violence. His legal team, led by attorney Mark Bankston, has filed a comprehensive 29-page lawsuit in Travis County District Court, including on the Fox News website and during broadcasts on Newsmax shows such as “The Balance.” It detailed the misuse of Garcia’s image on various platforms. with Eric Bolling” and “The Greg Kelly Report.”
Today, my co-counsel Greg Adler and I are accusing Fox, Newsmax, Univision, Timcast, Steven Crowder, and Owen Schroyer of falsely portraying our innocent client as a neo-Nazi mass shooter. , Simon Ateba, and Hollywood Unlocked. pic.twitter.com/TXABIAPGzo
— Mark Bankston (@BankstonAtLaw) April 12, 2024
The lawsuit accuses these organizations of ignoring basic journalistic standards and acting with reckless disregard for the truth. For example, despite being presented with a retraction request, Fox News did not respond or provide any response or correction regarding the misuse of Garcia’s image, Law & Crime said. (Related: Texas gunman stayed in classroom for 30 minutes before law enforcement burst in. Why?)
“Each of these media outlets has recklessly portrayed our client as a neo-Nazi mass murderer, and each one has shown him nothing but disrespect,” Bankston said. I have written On Twitter. “That is something we cannot accept. We will not allow news organizations to falsely accuse innocent men of being neo-Nazi mass murderers without being held accountable. We’ll see in court.”
The lawsuit specifically accuses Steven Crowder’s show “Louder with Crowder” of not only misidentifying Garcia, but also promoting a story that called into question the shooter’s actual motives and background. Despite evidence to the contrary, the program cast doubt and exacerbated the impact on Garcia, Law and Crime said. The lawsuit seeks more than $1 million in damages for defamation, reputational damage, and emotional distress.
The Daily Caller has reached out to Fox News for comment, but has not yet received a response.
