As many as 20 people have died after a man armed with an AK-style rifle stormed a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. A white male, who is believed to be the only gunman, is in custody. An alleged manifesto of the shooter has emerged.
The suspect has been reportedly identified as 21-year-old Patrick Crusius, though police have not officially released his name yet.
A still from a CCTV camera has emerged online showing a suspect entering the Walmart wielding an AK-style rifle, which media reports have referred to as “AK-47”. Police have not confirmed the exact make of the weapon, though it appears to be a civilian semi-automatic variant of the assault rifle.
The man is seen sporting military-style cargo pants, a black T-shirt and shooting ear protection.
Police have confirmed 26 people were injured in the shooting in addition to 20 who have died. At least 22 people were taken to two Texas hospitals in the wake of the attack, including two children.
Ahead of the massacre, the suspected shooter allegedly posted a 4-page manifesto online on the notorious image board 8chan. The document, which has emerged on social media and is currently being studied by the FBI, was apparently influenced by the manifesto of the Christchurch mosque shooter, who massacred over 50 people in New Zealand in March.
The author of the alleged manifesto calls the attack on the Walmart a “response to [the] Hispanic invasion of Texas” and expresses extreme-right views, voicing his support to the Christchurch shooter.
Police Chief Greg Allen mentioned the “manifesto” during a press conference, adding that the attack might have a “nexus” to hate crime. He said, however, that the police are still looking into whether the document was indeed penned by the shooter.
Meanwhile, a relative of a shooting witness told KTSM-TV that the shooter was raving about “gamer revolution” – a reference to an obscure online meme – during the rampage.
