This archive report was first published on 4 August 2019.
On August 3, 2019, a devastating mass shooting occurred at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake.
A 21-year-old man, identified as Patrick Crusius, surrendered to police outside the store after the rampage that claimed the lives of 20 people and left 26 others wounded.
US media linked Crusius to a 'manifesto' posted online that includes passages railing against the 'Hispanic invasion' of Texas.
El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen stated that the manifesto indicated a nexus to a potential hate crime, while Veronica Escobar, who represents El Paso in Congress, described the manifesto narrative as 'fuelled by hate, racism, and bigotry.'
El Paso, a city with a population of 680,000, predominantly of Hispanic descent, has historically been a safe community. However, the city has become a major entry point for undocumented migrants seeking asylum in the United States.
Three of those killed on Saturday came from Mexico, and six Mexicans were among the wounded, according to President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Mexico's foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard.
Crusius's manifesto also referenced the Christchurch shootings in New Zealand, where a white gunman killed 51 mosque worshippers in March.
