THE MAN ACCUSED of carrying out last weekend’s deadly mass shooting in the Texas city of El Paso confessed to officers while he was surrendering and later explained that he had been targeting Mexicans, authorities say.
22 people were killed and about two dozen were injured in the shooting at a Walmart store. Most of the dead had Hispanic last names and eight were Mexican nationals.
Patrick Crusius (21) emerged with his hands up from a vehicle that was stopped shortly after last Saturday’s attack and told officers “I’m the shooter”, Detective Adrian Garcia said in an arrest warrant affidavit.
Crusius later waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with detectives, telling them he entered the store with an AK-47 assault rifle and multiple magazines.
He also told them that he was targeting Mexicans.
Authorities believe that shortly before the attack, Crusius posted a racist screed online that railed against an influx of Hispanics into the US.
Crusius drove more than 10 hours from his hometown near Dallas to carry out the shooting in the largely Latino border city of El Paso, according to authorities.
A lawyer for the Crusius family told The Associated Press that the rest of the family never heard Patrick Crusius use the kind of racist and anti-immigrant language that was posted in the online screed.
Charged
Crusius has been charged with capital murder and is being held without bond.
Federal prosecutors have said they are also considering hate-crime charges.
The attack came hours before another mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, in which nine people were killed.
In total, both shootings killed 31 people in all wounded dozens more, reignited calls for Congress to take immediate action to reduce gun violence.
Speaking today, US President Donald Trump said fellow Republicans will set aside resistance to restricting access to firearms by supporting background checks for people buying weapons.
Includes reporting by The Associated Press
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