Over the weekend, at least 20 people were killed at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, where a suspect opened fire. The gunman appears to have harbored anti-immigrant beliefs and released a four-page manifesto on 8 Chan, an Internet comment board. The suspect has also been linked to anti-immigrant social media posts on Twitter and elsewhere.
The manifesto appeared online approximately twenty minutes before the first 911 calls were made. Reportedly, the manifesto spoke of a “Hispanic invasion of Texas” and warned that the state would become a Democratic stronghold. The manifesto also warned that white people were at risk of being replaced by people of color.
The shooter believes that America is “rotting from the inside out” and that peaceful means to stop this “seem to be nearly impossible.” The shooter cited both Democratic and Republican leaders, and also cited a corporate takeover of the government. However, the shooter claimed seemed to believe that some factions within the Republican Party were acceptable because they do not accept mass immigration.
The suspect claimed online that it was highly unlikely that he’d survive the shooting. Apparently, he attended to go out in a blaze of glory, not wanting to face his family, but instead surrendered to the police without incident. He also argued that he’d face the death penalty anyways if he survived. So far, authorities believe that the manifesto is real and was written by the shooter.
The suspect is a 21-year-old male from the Dallas suburbs (I don’t name mass shooters). He lived approximately 10 hours away and apparently drove to El Paso to carry out his shooting. El Paso is known for its predominately Hispanic population, with nearly 80 percent of residents identifying as Hispanic.
