The Dallas Cowboys have a very large fan base in El Paso, and team owner Jerry Jones is shaken up over the tragedy that occurred over the weekend.
Saturday, a shooting was confirmed at a Walmart near the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas. The suspect was identified as Patrick Crusius, a 21-year-old white male. He reportedly may have been targeting minorities, specifically immigrants.
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“We are so appreciative of the support that we have in El Paso,” Jones said, according to USA Today. “And it’s just unthinkable and a tragedy that they’re having to live right there with that. But we all are in heart and spirit, we share that. We all do.
Jerry Jones issued his thoughts on the El Paso shooting:
“It’s just so sad for those families and all those innocent people and obviously we all want to think how can we make (this) different–those issues. I’m sure all Americans are thinking that way.”
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“It’s just so sad for those families. All those innocent people. Obviously, we all want to think how can we make different those issues. I’m sure all Americans are thinking that way.”
This mass shooting also hits close to home for Cowboys safety Jameill Showers. He played quarterback at the University of Texas-El Paso, which sits eight miles from the Walmart where the shooting occurred.
Changing the country to prevent violent crimes and mass shootings could seem to be an insurmountable task, but members of the Dallas Cowboys are trying to take strides toward this goal. Defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Tyrone Crawford are both working on a social justice and community relations initiative in North Texas. Additionally, Crawford and cornerback Byron Jones have both gone on “ride alongs” with police in North Texas.
Less than 24 hours after the shooting in El Paso, another tragic event occurred in Dayton, Ohio. On early Sunday morning, police confirmed nine people were killed in a shooting that lasted less than one minute. This included the alleged shooter, a young man named Connor Betts. The 24-year old used a .233 caliber rifle to shoot in the area Dayton streets that were known for their nightlife. It was also revealed that one of the victims was Betts’ sister.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 255 mass shootings in 2019.
