Walmart Gunman Kills 22 & Injures 26+ People

By Jordan Myers

A+collage+of+victims+of+El+Paso+shooting+and+in+the+middle%2C+a+makeshift+memorial.

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A collage of victims of El Paso shooting and in the middle, a makeshift memorial.

Jordan Myers, Reporter

A 21-year-old college student named Patrick Crusius has been accused of opening fire on a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, shooting 22 people dead and wounding 26 more on Saturday, August 3rd. This shooting was in response to a ‘Hispanic invasion’ of Texas according to a sick manifesto he posted online. The shooting took place at the Walmart near the Cielo Vista Mall.

Crusius in his high school yearbook (Google Images)

Minutes before the shooting, Crusius posted a 2,300-word document on a website called 8Chan, an online message board composed of user-created message boards. The manifesto begins with: “This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas. They are the instigators, not me. I am simply defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by an invasion.” He also wrote that he planned on being killed in a confrontation with the police or by one of the ‘invaders’ but ended up surrendering 6 minutes after the shooting spree began.

A Twitter account that appeared to belong to Crusius was shut down Saturday evening. Tweets on the account had praised President Trump and, in particular, his effort to build a wall along the U.S.- Mexico border.

A screenshot taken off of Patrick Crusius’ Twitter account, now removed from the site

People from Crusius’ past such as his former neighbor, Leigh Ann Locascio reported to the Los Angeles Times that he was “very much of a loner, very stand-offish” and “didn’t interact with very many people.”

Former classmate, Jacob Wilson said Crusius was “very strong-minded” during high school and many could not work with him because he was irritable and had a very short temper.

During his high school years while attending Liberty High School and later Plano Senior High School, classmates say he was often bullied; “Every time I looked up in class it was someone new speaking negatively to the kid,” Former classmate, Tony Locascio said.

In a shaky Snapchat video, aired by CNN, a woman holding the camera runs through a mall department store and into the parking lot. As the group hurries past racks of clothes and cases of merchandise, a voice off-camera shouts, “Hands up!”

In another video, taken outside the Walmart, showed people lying on the ground, some of them next to a table set up by the store’s entrance.

Loved ones of El Paso victims mourning their loss(es) over makeshift memorial outside Walmart

It is estimated that there were approximately 3,000 customers and 100 employees in the Walmart at the time of the shooting said Sgt. Robert Gomez, an El Paso police spokesman.

Even more, unfortunately, the El Paso shooting was not the only shooting to occur within that twenty-four hours. In Dayton, Ohio, 9 people were shot dead in and outside of the bar, Blind Bob’s Tavern, only thirteen hours after 22 were killed in El Paso.

Many heart-warming efforts have been put in to help the city of El Paso heal like Greg Zanis, a carpenter from Illinois who traveled to El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio bringing handmade white crosses to lay in remembrance of the shooting victims. “Gun violence, you know, victims, they flock to me. They understand what it is that my messages are about. Let’s remember these names, let’s remember these people,” Zanis said.

Photographer: John Locher
Greg Zanis sets up his white crosses in honor and remembrance of El Paso victims

Another kind community effort was the #ElPasoChallenge, spearheaded and spread throughout El Paso by an 11-year-old boy named Ruben Martinez. The boy was on his way home from a fundraiser with his mom when they drove past their local Walmart and saw numerous first responders. Once they had gotten home, they had learned of the shooting and Ruben began asking questions. He became very anxious about getting out of the house. His mother challenged him to find an idea that would show the kindness of El Paso. He then wrote down a notebook full of ideas and began asking people to participate in the challenge. Ruben’s challenge is for people to do 22 good deeds or acts of kindness in memory of the 22 people killed in the shooting. They don’t even have to be huge acts of kindness, just to show people that you care for them and give reassurance that there is still good out there. “I want to show people that El Pasoans are good,” Ruben said. “They’re loving and are caring and are willing to do anything to help out.”

Ruben Martinez advertising his #ElPasoChallenge

In light of the El Paso shooting, Trump took to Twitter and tweeted the following: “Today’s shooting in El Paso, Texas, was not only tragic, but it was also an act of cowardice. I know that I stand with everyone in this country to condemn today’s hateful act. There are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people….” People were quick to come after the tweet like singer Rihanna.

Rihanna’s response to Trump’s tweet via Instagram)

Crusius has been charged with capital murder and is being held without bond at the El Paso Detention Facility. District Attorney Jaime Esparza said his office will seek the death penalty.

Listed below is all of the El Paso victims whose lives were abruptly cut short, released by El Paso officials.

  • Jordan Anchondo, 25
  • Andre Anchondo, 24
  • Arturo Benavidez, 59
  • Javier Rodriguez, 15
  • Sara Esther Regalado Moriel, 66
  • Adolfo Cerros Hernández, 68
  • Gloria Irma Marquez, 61
  • María Eugenia Legarreta Rothe, 58
  • Ivan Manzano, 41
  • Juan de Dios Velázquez Chairez, 77
  • David Johnson, 63
  • Leonardo Campos Jr., 41
  • Maribel Campos (Loya), 56
  • Angelina Silva Englisbee, 86
  • Maria Flores, 77
  • Raul Flores, 77
  • Jorge Calvillo Garcia, 61
  • Alexander Gerhard Hoffman, 66
  • Luis Alfonzo Juarez, 90
  • Elsa Mendoza de la Mora, 57
  • Margie Reckard, 63
  • Teresa Sanchez, 82

Everyone at Sahuaro’s deepest and sincerest condolences goes out to loved ones of the victims, we wish for you and your loved ones to find peace at this very difficult time.❤️

For live updates on the El Paso and Dayton, Ohio shootings, click here.