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El Paso, Texas Walmart Shooting

Location: Walmart Shopping Center and Parking Lot, El Paso, Texas

Date: August 3, 2019

Attacker: Patrick Crusius, 21

Victims: 22 dead, 26 wounded

Weapon(s): AK-47 type assault rifle

Type of attacker: Domestic Terrorism

 

Description:


On Saturday, August 3, 2019, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius approached the Walmart shopping center in El Paso, Texas armed with what has been described as an AK-47 type semi-automatic assault rifle. The first call to law enforcement for help occurred at 10:39 am – police arrived six minutes later at 10:45. In the attack, 20 were immediately killed and 2 died of their extensive wounds in the hospital within days. Six of the fatalities were Mexican nationals. El Paso Texas is less than three miles from the border separating the U.S. and Mexico. It is considered to be one of the safest p[laces to live in the U.S.

The shooter was approached after the first law enforcement responder arrived in six minutes. The shooter was sitting in his car in the store parking lot, when approached by law enforcement. He exited the car with hands up and was apprehended with no struggle or resistance. He is cooperating in interviews conducted by law enforcement.

The shooting is being considered to be a domestic terrorism attack. Federal hate crime and federal firearm charges are also being pursued by the U.S. Department of Justice. Twenty minutes before the shooting, it appears the shooter posted a lengthy 2,300 word  manifesto with a strong while nationalist, anti-immigrant focus. The manifesto was posted to 8chan, which has been a vehicle for such postings from other mass victim attackers (Christchurch, New Zealand and Congregation Chabad synagogue in Poway, California). Near the end of the manifesto, it stated that he would probably die today.

 

Links:

Dakin Andone, Eric Levenson, and Nicole Chavez, The El Paso shooter faces the death penalty in a 'domestic terrorism' case, CNN, August 3, 2019 https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/04/us/el-paso-shooting-sunday/index.html

Pat Miltonm, El Paso shooting: Prosecutors to seek death penalty for "domestic terrorism" CBS News, August 3, 2019,  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/el-paso-walmart-shooting-suspect-patrick-crusius-latest-live-updates-today-2019-08-04/

 

Lois Beckett and Sam Levin, El Paso shooting at Walmart leaves 20 people dead, The Observer, August 4, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/03/el-paso-shooting-texas-walmart

Spencer Kimball, 20 dead in mass shooting at Walmart in El Paso — suspect in custody, August 3, 2019. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/03/police-in-el-paso-are-responding-to-active-shooter.html

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