[RealityUnfolding]

Shooter's name is Patrick Crusius. He lived 700-ish miles from the shooting spree scene.

By Alyssa Choiniere
Updated Aug 3, 2019 at 8:37pm

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Patrick Crusius was identified as the suspect in the shooting at Walmart near Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas, by the Washington Examiner. Crusius, 21, is from the Dallas/Fort Worth area and is currently in police custody.

NBC News reports there were at least 19 people killed, including an infant, in the August 3 shooting with a further 40 injured. Officials said during a press conference there were 20 people dead and 26 injured. Officials also confirmed the existence of a manifesto, which they said is a part of their investigation. They did not confirm the manifesto was written by the suspect.

The state of Texas will lead prosecution on the suspect. They plan to charge him with capital murder. Officials also referenced possible investigations into hate crime, but would not define a motive in the early stages of the investigation.

“Not speaking about this particular incident, which is still under investigation, but the manifesto narrative is fueled by hate, and it’s fueled by racism and bigotry and division,” U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar said at the press conference.

She said “strong statements” will be forthcoming if a hate-crime motive is determined, “but for now, we’ll let the investigation continue,” she said.

The shooting was reported at 10:39 a.m. Police arrived on the scene six minutes later, officials said. Law enforcement declined to identify the suspect, saying he was a 21-year-old man from Allen, Texas.

Police have also not officially confirmed the suspect’s name, saying at a press conference only that he is a white male in his 20s.

Area hospitals reported there were a total of 24 injured people among the hospitals, including two children. Also among the injured were military service members from Fort Bliss, according to local news reports.

Police scanner traffic from the area suggested that Crusius was taken into custody about noon local time. The shooting began about 10 a.m., officials said. The FBI and ATF responded to the scene, alongside the El Paso Police Department and other state and local police departments.

A motive for the attack has not been officially confirmed by police, but CNN reports that an online posting that appears to have been made by the suspect is being investigated by the FBI.

The shopping areas in the area of the Cielo Vista Mall is near the United States border with Mexico. It is a popular location to shop for people on both sides of the border. License plates from both the United States and Mexico are on cars in the parking lots, NBC reported.

“We must do one thing today, one thing tomorrow and each and every day after this,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said during a press conference. “We must unite.”

A Walmart employee told KTSM she thought boxes were being dropped when she first heard the gunfire. She asked to be identified only by her first name, Leslie.

“I thought it was just like loud boxes being dropped or something, until they got closer and closer,” she said. “That’s when I looked at my co-worker, and we looked at each other like shocked and scared.”

She said she tried to rescue as many people as she could.

“I got all the people that I could. I even found a little girl that was missing from her parents, and I got her, too. I tried to get as many people as I could out,” she said.

There were thousands of people inside the Walmart when the shooting began, according to police.

Adriana Quezada, 39, was in the store with her two children. She initially thought the gunshots were construction.

“I heard the shots but I thought they were hits, like roof construction,”she told the Associated Press.

Here’s what you need to know about Patrick Crusius and the shooting:

1. Crusius Was Taken Into Custody ‘Without Incident’

The suspect, identified by multiple sources as Patrick Crusius, was driving a grey vehicle, according to police scanner chatter. Early reports indicated the suspect had an AK47. That information was not immediately confirmed by police. Local reported Mills Hayes tweeted that the suspect was taken into custody “without incident” and that officers did not fire any shots during the arrest.

El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said during an evening press conference, “he surrendered to approaching officers.”

He did not reveal what type of gun was used in the attack, but said it was a high-powered weapon capable of causing significant damage at the crowded store. Walmart was especially busy Saturday with a high number of back-to-school shoppers.

“If you’re firing randomly at people, you can cause a lot of damage,” he said.

Police discussed recovering the weapon on the scanner but did not specify what type of weapon it was. At about 12:40 p.m., scanner traffic indicated that the police had recovered the weapon as well as the suspect’s car.

Asked what can be done to prevent this type of mass catastrophe in the future allegedly committed by “a white man with a manifesto,” Allen said, “That’s for a psychologist to answer.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott also related the mass shooting to mental health.

“The bottom line is mental health is a large contributor to any type of violence or shooting violence,” he said.

He said Texas was grieving for El Paso, where a normal day of shopping became a deadly day for the community.

“Texas grieves for the people of El Paso today,” he said.

Abbott asked people to remember El Paso in its prayers and to keep their loved ones close.

“For every mom and dad, for every son and daughter, we ask that you put your arms around you family tonight and give them a hug and let them know how much you love them,” he said.

Officials also thanked law enforcement for their rapid response. The shooting was reported at 10:39 a.m. and the first law enforcement officer was on the scene at 10:45 a.m., El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said at the press conference. Other responding agencies included the FBI and border patrol, among others.

“Everyone that carries a badge in this town pretty much showed up to this part scene,” he said.

Miguel Rodriguez, a witness, told The Daily Beast the gunman, “started shooting everyone, aisle by aisle, with rage.”

Witnesses told CBS 4 News that the suspect possibly stopped shooting because he ran out of ammunition.

Vanessa Saenz told Fox News Crusius seemed “very nonchalant, like he was on a mission.”

He was “just pointing at people and shooting straight at them. I saw about three or four just fall to the ground.” At that point, she was at a stop sign while other cars were passing. “He was just shooting randomly, it wasn’t to any particular person,” she said.

Scanner chatter was focused on Walmart at the Cielo Vista mall. Police also said on the scanner they were sending officers in to complete “tactical searches” in the mall.

Crusius has not yet been charged. It is not clear if he has hired an attorney.

Walmart is not a part of the Cielo Vista Mall. It is located nearby. The mall was put on lock-down and searched by law enforcement.

Walmart issued a statement on Twitter saying they were “in shock” following the mass shooting.


(STATEMENT FROM) Walmart
We're in shock over the tragic events at Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, where store 2201 & club 6502 are located. We’re praying for the victims, the community & our associates, as well as the first responders. We’re working closely with law enforcement & will update as appropriate.


The owner of the mall made a brief statement, saying, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims.”

2. Crusius Once Wrote on LinkedIn That He Was Not Motivated to Do Anything Other Than to Get By

Crusius wrote on his LinkedIn page in 2015 that he was not motivated to do anything other than enough to get by. Shortly after the shooting on August 3, that page was deleted. Crusius said on that page that he attended Plano High School. Plano is located near Crusius’ family home in Allen, Texas, and is about 650 miles away from El Paso. Collin County Community College confirmed he attended their school through the spring of 2019.

He wrote in the About section of the LinkedIn page, “I’m not really motivated to do anything more than what’s necessary to get by,” he wrote on the page. “Working in general sucks, but I guess a career in Software Development suits me well. I spend about 8 hours every day on the computer so that counts as technology experience I guess. Pretty much gonna see what technology careers present themselves; go with the wind.”

When writing about his life in high school, Crusius said that he did not participate in extracurricular activities because of “lack of freedom.” A Facebook page that shows the suspect’s face as the profile image shows no biographical information or recent postings. On that page, Crusius has three visible friends.

3. A Manifesto Purporting to Be From the Shooter Has Been Circulating on 8Chan

Reporter Scott Stedman has tweeted that he had told the FBI that a manifesto which was purported to be from the suspect had been circulating on 8Chan. Stedman said that the FBI is treating the manifesto seriously. 8Chan is a controversial message board that has been described as “the home of the most vitriolic content on the internet” by Vox.

That manifesto, which has been seen by Heavy.com but not verified as belonging to the suspect, makes negative references to Hispanic immigration into the U.S.. It criticizes both major political parties in the U.S., but the writer stresses that he supports some in the Republican Party in terms of immigration policies. The writer also makes reference to alleged Christchurch mosque shooter, Brenton Tarrant.

The manifesto appears to have been posted before the first reports of the shooting. It includes details that match up with what happened at the El Paso Walmart.

The manifesto was titled “An Inconvenient Truth.”

It began:

“In general, I support the Christchurch shooter and his manifesto. 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. Some people will think this statement is hypocritical because of the nearly complete ethnic and cultural destruction brought to the Native Americans by our European ancestors, but this just reinforces my point. The natives didn’t take the invasion of Europeans seriously, and now what’s left is just a shadow of what was. My motives for this attack are not at all personal. Actually the Hispanic community was not my target before I read The Great Replacement. This manifesto will cover the political and economic reasons behind the attack, my gear, my expectations of what response this will generate and my personal motivations and thoughts.”

Officials confirmed the existence of the manifesto at a press conference Saturday evening. They did not say whether it was written by the suspect.

Crusius’ Facebook page was deleted after the shooting. A Twitter account under his name has not been confirmed to belong to him. It was also deleted after the shooting.

The Facebook page was seen by Heavy before it was taken down. It included just one photo, the profile picture at the top of this article, and no other posts or details about the suspect. He had only three friends, including his twin sister. The other two friends were a man and woman whose connection to Crusius was not immediately known.

4. Crusius’ Last Known Address Was in Allen, Texas

Public records show Crusius’ last known address was his family’s home in Allen, Texas, about 30 minutes outside of Dallas and more than 9 hours away from El Paso. It is not clear if he has any connections to the El Paso area. Crusius appeared to have lived with his parents and also has a twin sister and older brother, according to public records. Crusius’ family has not commented about the shooting.


FBI and ATF agents are in north Texas searching homes and interviewing people who might be related to Crusius, WFAA reported. Law enforcement officers are in unmarked vehicles outside a house on Kingsbury Court in Allen that public records indicate is El Paso mass shooting suspect Patrick Crusius’ last known address.

Crusius was a 2017 graduate of Plano Senior High School.


(Via)Jason Whitely
The suspected #ElPaso shooter, Patrick Crusius, is a 2017 graduate of Plano Senior High School and lived in Allen - a northern suburb of Dallas. https://twitter.com/leachfortexas/st...84263695245313 …

48 people are talking about this
El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said a member of the El Paso community would not have attacked its people.

“This would not have happened from an El Pasoan, I can assure you,” he said.

He said El Paso will not be defined by the tragedy but by its response.

“United our community will heal. El Paso is too strong to be broken by a cowardly act like this one,” he said.

He said the community is mourning the loss.

“I want to ensure the El Paso community that we are safe,” he said. “We are safe.”

Officials confirmed 20 people were killed and 26 were injured. Reports indicated local hospitals were flooded with victims. The El Paso Police Department issued a plea via Twitter for blood donations in the wake of the shooting saying, “Blood needed urgently. Multiple injured transported to various hospitals. Blood donation centers Vitalent Blood Services at 424 s Mesa Hills and 133 N Zaragoza.”

A video on Twitter showed a long line of people waiting to donate blood.

“Rep. Veronica Escobar on CNN says she won’t confirm the number of fatalities from the mass shooting in El Paso, but that the number is ‘shocking,'” Reporter Sandra Gonzalez wrote on Twitter.

5. A Second Person Has Been Taken Into Custody at the Scene

NBC News reports that a second person was taken into custody at the scene of the shooting. It is unclear what that person had been arrested for. Throughout the day there had been erroneous reports on social media of multiple shooters and of multiple shooting scenes. Police later said that following the arrest of Crusius, there was no further threat.

Statements from government officials quickly poured in on Twitter following the attack.

“In El Paso, the Texas Dept. of Public Safety is assisting local law enforcement & federal authorities to bring this tragedy to the swiftest & safest possible conclusion,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott wrote. “We thank all First Responders for their courageous response & urge all area residents to remain safe.”

Beto O’Rourke also wrote about the shooting on Twitter.

“Truly heartbreaking. Stay safe, El Paso,” he wrote. “Please follow all directions of emergency personnel as we continue to get more updates.”

President Trump tweeted, “Terrible shootings in ElPaso, Texas. Reports are very bad, many killed. Working with State and Local authorities, and Law Enforcement. Spoke to Governor to pledge total support of Federal Government. God be with you all!”

[happyville]

Damn, I have relatives there. We’ve gotten in touch with a few but theres one we haven’t heard back from.

[Zipherup]

Hoping for the best.

[rarseclart]

it's clearly an old person. he even shot a baby

[Royal_Madnessty]

I was on twitter minutes ago but i can't handle all the bs. Although i'm pretty liberal i can't stand people using this for their own benefits and agenda. Blaming Trump and the whole white human race but where was Obama when Sandy Hook and other mass shootings under his regime happened? Comparing police brutality with this POS being detained, that makes zero sense. Most mass shooters still die at the hands of police or by suicide. Most gun violence is because of suicide, two thirds of the gun violence victims are suicides. But of course assholes are going to use and abuse this just to bash Trump some more, i don't even like Trump but this is getting out of hand.

[cortdb]

Originally Posted by Royal_Madnessty ↗

I was on twitter minutes ago but i can't handle all the bs. Although i'm pretty liberal i can't stand people using this for their own benefits and agenda. Blaming Trump and the whole white human race but where was Obama when Sandy Hook and other mass shootings under his regime happened? Comparing police brutality with this POS being detained, that makes zero sense. Most mass shooters still die at the hands of police or by suicide. Most gun violence is because of suicide, two thirds of the gun violence victims are suicides. But of course assholes are going to use and abuse this just to bash Trump some more, i don't even like Trump but this is getting out of hand.

I agree, these leaders really dont give a shit about this tragedy. It just gives them another chance to push an agenda. Further more, Laws obviously dont prevent this stuff. Killing People is illegal. Its the ultimate crime in Texas. Capital punishment stuff. That didn't deter him...Would 1 or 500 more gun laws stop him? Hell no. 9/11 was done with box cutters. This is a mental health thing. All of these shooters, for the most part, are what i would consider outcasts. How do you fix that? As a gun toting white man and a Trump supporter, I absolutely do NOT condone this type of shit. This fucking punk is a disgrace to the human race. He thinks he was on some crusade but hes not the solution to any problem, he is the fucking problem. Violence does nothing but breed more violence and hatred. Just like that punk that shot up the gay bar in florida. If you dont agree with their lifestyle, dont associate with them, its not hurting anybody. Why go shoot the place up? I feel all the news coverage for days and days on end motivates some of these shootings also. End of rant

[Royal_Madnessty]

One more comment. Many are sharing and comparing Eric Garners death to this POS shooter. There are a few differencies besides race. One, different state, different cops. 2. Garner was resisting. 3, Garner had an overall bad health ( heart and lungs ) and it showed on his autopsy report. He still didn't have to die by the hands of some fucked up cops.

Yes, more unarmed black people die because of police brutality ( stats ) plenty of white and hispanic unarmed people also die by the hands of some shithead cops. The bodycam footage of Daniel Shaver is still one of the worst ones out there, he was white, unarmed dude, pleading for his life yet this white cop shot him 5 times with a gun with the words ''you're fucked'' written on its dust case.

Let me stop, i don't wanne sound like some giant asshole but this is exhausting.

[North3ndSavage]

As soon as I see the article on Facebook, the 1st thing that comes to my sick brain is GO TO documenting reality and see what really happened. Seriously fucked up thing to do though, and children involved too, Real sick MF smh

[Royal_Madnessty]

Originally Posted by cortdb ↗

I agree, these leaders really dont give a shit about this tragedy. It just gives them another chance to push an agenda. Further more, Laws obviously dont prevent this stuff. Killing People is illegal. Its the ultimate crime in Texas. Capital punishment stuff. That didn't deter him...Would 1 or 500 more gun laws stop him? Hell no. 9/11 was done with box cutters. This is a mental health thing. All of these shooters, for the most part, are what i would consider outcasts. How do you fix that? As a gun toting white man and a Trump supporter, I absolutely do NOT condone this type of shit. This fucking punk is a disgrace to the human race. He thinks he was on some crusade but hes not the solution to any problem, he is the fucking problem. Violence does nothing but breed more violence and hatred. Just like that punk that shot up the gay bar in florida. If you dont agree with their lifestyle, dont associate with them, its not hurting anybody. Why go shoot the place up? I feel all the news coverage for days and days on end motivates some of these shootings also. End of rant

YES to all of that. And its funny, in europe its always muslim scum attacking and killing people, yet in America they are coddled, people are using stupid memes, how they are no threat but white people are. Let them come to europe, France for example and see how they like it there. Back in march some Turkish scum shot and killed people in the Netherlands. FUCK every single one of them, this includes muslims.

[Burn_Relief]

How long will it take for Patrick to "suicide", once he's locked up with all those of the same race he killed?