The primary suspect behind the mass shooting at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart may have written a manifesto, multiple news outlets are reporting.
Reporters are basing this on statements from elected officials speaking to the press about what they know so far. Authorities, however, have not confirmed the alleged manifesto belongs to 21-year-old Patrick Crusius of Dallas.
At a late afternoon news conference, officials said the suspect, identified as a 21-year-old white man from the Dallas suburb of Allen, Texas, had posted a hate-filled manifesto before undertaking the shootings, in which at least 26 others were wounded.
A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that the suspect taken into custody was a Dallas-area man named Patrick Crusius.
The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
So far, there is no public confirmation that the manifesto referenced was indeed written by the Crusius. However, the reports on the document say that it was a far-right manifesto raging against immigration, among other issues. It was posted on an alt-right message board that is well-known for its trolling as it is its extreme views.
Despite there being no official confirmation that Crusius authored any such document, several politicians are speaking out about it.
At the news conference, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat who represents the El Paso area, said more needs to be done to address hate.
“The manifesto narrative is fueled by hate, and it’s fueled by racism, bigotry and division,” Escobar said.
"America is under attack from home grown white nationalist terrorists" -Mayor Pete
— Sam Stein (@samstein) August 3, 2019
The FBI is investigating the claim, though there has so far been no word on when a determination will be made.
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