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Death Toll In El Paso Climbs To 22

Death Toll In El Paso Climbs To 22

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

EL PASO — The number of fatalities following Saturday’s deadly shooting rampage at a Walmart has climbed to 22, according to the El Paso Police Department and local hospital officials.

“Sad to report that the number of fatalities increased by one. Victim passed early this morning at the hospital,” the department’s official Twitter account posted Monday. No other details about the victim were offered.

Del Sol Medical Center CEO David Shimp said at a press conference streamed by the Austin American-Statesman that another person had also died Monday. Shimp said that one of the other victims being treated at the hospital remains in critical condition.

More than two dozen other people were also wounded and authorities said last weekend the number of fatalities could continue to climb. At 22, the death toll is just one shy of the number of homicides recorded in the city last year. Homicides the two years prior were even less frequent, with 16 and 20 recorded in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

The death toll also included at least seven Mexican citizens who were at the shopping center when the alleged gunman, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius of Allen, north of Dallas, began firing a high-powered weapon that El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said was purchased legally.

“The FBI remains concerned that U.S.-based domestic violent extremists could become inspired by these and previous high-profile attacks to engage in similar acts of violence,” an agency statement said. “The FBI asks the American public to report to law enforcement any suspicious activity that is observed either in person or online.”

Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard called the shooting “an act of terrorism against the Mexican-American community and Mexican nationals in the United States,” Politico reported. He tweeted that he would be in El Paso Monday; calls to the office of the Mexican Consul General’s office in El Paso seeking more information about the visit weren’t immediately returned.

On Sunday police said the suspect was cooperating with authorities and said they were still trying to link an anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic manifesto to the alleged gunman.

He was charged with state capital murder and is also facing possible federal domestic terrorism charges, federal authorities said.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2019/08/05/death-toll-el-paso-shooting-climbs-21/. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Feds Investigate El Paso Massacre As Possible Hate Crime

Feds Investigate El Paso Massacre As Possible Hate Crime

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

John Bash, the United States Attorney for the western district of Texas, on Sunday told reporters the federal government is conducting an investigation into Saturday’s mass shooting at an El Paso, TX Walmart with “a view toward bringing federal hate crimes charges and federal firearms charges” against the accused gunman, noting authorities are treating the attack as a domestic terrorist case. Jaime Esparza, the El Paso district attorney, likewise said the state is bringing capital murder charges against the man accused of killing 20 people and wounding at least 26 others.

21-year-old Patrick Crusius of Allen, TX opened fire Saturday morning at a crowded Walmart. As the New York Times reports, 19 minutes before the attack, an anti-immigrant manifesto that lamented the “Hispanic invasion of Texas” appeared on 8chan, a message board described by the Washington Post as “the more-lawless, more-libertarian, more ‘free’ follow-up to 4chan.” Authorities believe Crusius wrote the manifesto.

In a Saturday night press briefing, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the state was “going to aggressively prosecute [the attack] both as capital murder, but also as a hate crime, which is what it appears to be.” Sunday, the El Paso DA confirmed the state of Texas will seek the death penalty.

“With a heavy heart I talk to you but we are in the process of working together with all law enforcement especially the El Paso police department, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI, also with the U.S. Attorney’s office we will proceed with the investigation,” Esparza said. “I can tell you from the outsets, the state charge is capital murder and so he is eligible for the death penalty, we will seek the death penalty.”

Esparza stressed that the violent attack is not indicative of the community as a whole. “We are a very good and loving community but we will hold him accountable,” Esparza said.

Bash, the US attorney, added that “in close consultation with Attorney General [Bill] Barr, we are conducting a methodical investigation, careful investigation, but with a view toward bringing federal hate crimes charges and federal firearms charges which carry a penalty of death. We are seriously considering those charges. We will conduct a methodical internal investigation with those charges. We are also treating this as a domestic terrorist case.”

“We will do what we do in terrorists in this country: deliver swift and certain justice,” Bash said.

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