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A shooting rampage at a crowded Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, is being investigated as a “hate crime”, authorities say.
A gunman armed with a powerful assault-style rifle opened fire at the Cielo Vista Walmart store in the majority-Hispanic border city, killing at least 20 people and injuring 26 others on Saturday.
The 21-year-old from Allen, a suburb of Dallas, then surrendered to police outside the store and was taken into custody, Texas authorities said.
He was identified as Patrick Crusius, who, according to US media, is white and linked to a “manifesto” posted online that described an attack in response to a “Hispanic invasion.”
“Hispanics will take control of the local and state government of my beloved Texas, changing policy to better suit their needs,” the manifesto said, adding, “the heavy Hispanic population in Texas will make us a Democrat stronghold.”
Speaking at a news conference, El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said, “Right now we have a manifesto from this individual that indicates to some degree he has a nexus to potential hate crime.”
Allen, however, said that investigators were still working to “validate for certainty that this was the manifesto” of the man.
Veronica Escobar, who represents El Paso in Congress, said “the manifesto narrative is fueled by hate. And it’s fueled by racism and bigotry and division.”
Meanwhile, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) blamed President Donald Trump for the shooting.
“We’ve had a rise in hate crimes every single one of the last three years,” O’Rourke said Saturday evening. “During an administration where you’ve had the president call Mexicans rapists and criminals.”
“He is a racist, and he stokes racism in this country,” added the former congressman and current 2020 candidate for president.
The El Paso carnage came in the same week when two employees were fatally shot at another Walmart store in Southaven, Mississippi, and three people were shot and killed at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California.
