El Paso Shooting A “Hate Crime” Directed at Mexican Immigrants? Victims Might Avoid Hospitals Due to Immigration Status
CNN reports that local officials in El Paso believe some mass shooting victims didn’t seek medical treatment because of their immigration status. America is in dire shape. pic.twitter.com/E68hiCN5H2
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 3, 2019
As the smoke literally clears from the mall in El Paso, investigators look into whether the shooting was a hate crime. The El Paso Times reports that the mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart might be prosecuted as a hate crime after investigators discovered an anti-immigrant diatribe possibly connected to the suspect. “Right now we have a manifesto from this individual that indicates a possible hate crime,” El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said. Allen said investigators still need to validate whether the so-called “manifesto” belongs to suspected shooter, identified by law enforcement as Patrick Crusius, a 21-year-old. The El Paso Times obtained a 2,356-word essay allegedly linked to Crusius’ Facebook page. The document outlined the reasons for a premeditated attack, including the weapon and ammunition the killer would use.
The Associated Press reports that El Paso Mayor Dee Margo also said police were investigating whether a document — apparently the “manifesto” referred to above — posted online shortly before the shooting was written by Crusius. In it, the writer expresses concern that an influx of Hispanics into the United States will replace aging white voters, potentially turning Texas blue in upcoming elections and swinging the White House to the Democrats. In addition, a Twitter account that appears to belong to Crusius included pro-Trump posts praising the plan to build more border wall. The writer of the document says that “race mixing” is destroying the nation and recommends dividing the United States into territorial enclaves determined by race. “The first sentence of the four-page document expresses support for the man accused of killing 51 people at two New Zealand mosques in March after posting his own screed with a conspiracy theory about nonwhite migrants replacing whites.”
There are news reports that some of the shooting victims may not seek medical assistance because of their immigration status. As reported by CNN, U.S. Customs and Border Protection in El Paso tweeted that it is not conducting enforcement operations at hospitals, reunification centers or shelters after the Walmart shooting.
Please be aware that CBP personnel including Border Patrol agents + Field Operations officers have returned to their regular duties. We are not conducting enforcement operations at area hospitals, the family reunification center or shelters. We stand in support of our community
— CBP West Texas (@CBPWestTexas) August 4, 2019
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said on Twitter that three Mexicans are among those killed in the shooting in El Paso, Texas. Additionally, six Mexicans are wounded, Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marcelo Ebrard, said on Twitter.
Democratic presidential candidate and El Paso native Beto O’Rourke blamed the rise in hate crimes in part on President Trump’s anti-Mexican, xenophobic rhetoric:
KJ