The statistics with this latest mass-shooting make it the deadliest shooting in the United States this year. It also falls into the top 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern American history, according to NBC News.
Two law enforcement officials who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity identified the suspect taken into custody as 21-year-old Patrick Crusius. El Paso police have not released the alleged suspect’s name, but do confirm he is from Allen, near Dallas.
Sadly, this latest deadly tally comes just a week after a 19-year-old gunman opened fire with what has been described as an assault-style rifle at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California, killing two children and an adult, before killing himself.
El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said authorities are considering bringing capital murder charges against the suspect, adding that the case has a possible “nexus to a potential hate crime.”
“Right now we have a manifesto from this individual that indicates to some degree a nexus to a potential hate crime,” Allen said. However, El Paso FBI Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie said further investigation is needed before the determination of a hate crime can be made, according to CNN News.
At least 26 people were injured in the shooting, and most were being treated at hospitals. According to witnesses, the shooting started outside the Walmart and then the shooter moved inside the store near the Cielo Vista Mall, they said, adding that the store was packed with as many as 3,000 people during the busy back-to-school shopping season.
Is this the shooter? pic.twitter.com/541YRbuscc
— Bebest Notabooly (@BNotabooly) August 3, 2019
The west Texas city of El Paso, with about 680,000 residents – has pulled together during this horrible tragedy, with citizens quick to volunteer to give blood to the injured after the shooting, even as police and military help people to locate their loved ones.
University Medical Center of El Paso spokesman Ryan Mielke said 13 people were brought to the hospital with injuries – including one who died. Two of the injured were children who were transferred to El Paso Children’s Hospital.
Del Sol Medical Center, hospital spokesman Victor Guerrero said they are treating 11 shooting victims. Their ages range from 35 to 82, he said.
Gov. Greg Abbott, who confirmed the number of victims at a news conference, called the shooting “a heinous and senseless act of violence” and President Donald Trump tweeted: “Reports are very bad, many killed.”
