A manifesto posted on social media just 19 minutes before a gunman opened fire at an El Paso, Texas Walmart Saturday afternoon has been linked to the suspect, although authorities have not confirmed the document’s author. The document is filled with racist and white supremacy ideology and refers to a “Hispanic invasion of Texas” and the Christchurch terrorist attack in New Zealand. The suspect, identified as Patrick Crusius, was arrested after allegedly killing 20 people and injuring 26 others.
According to the New York Times, authorities are combing every part of the 2,300-word document to determine if it was written by Crusius. If the unsigned manifesto is linked to Crusius, it could give authorities evidence to treat the shooting as a hate crime of domestic terrorism.
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The manifesto is titled “The Inconvenient Truth,” a possible reference to Al Gore’s documentary on climate change. It references the Christchurch, New Zealand attack, in which 51 people were killed in March. “In general, I support the Christchurch shooter and his manifesto. This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas,” the manifesto reads.
The document also references “the great replacement,” a white supremacy theory promoted by French writer Renaud Camus. It argues that European elites are trying to replace white Europeans with Middle Eastern and North African immigrants.
According to HuffPost, the document was posted on 8chan, an extremist forum, before the shooting.
“The environment is getting worse by the year. Most of y’all are just too stubborn to change your lifestyle. So the next logical step is to decrease the number of people in America using resources,” the manifesto reads. “If we can get rid of enough people, then our way of life can become more sustainable.”
The author also suggests the Democratic Party is trying to gain a permanent majority by embracing the Hispanic community and revealed plans to use an AK-47-style rifle, which has been used in other mass shootings. The author claims both major political parties are behind the U.S. “rotting from the inside out” and the Hispanic population in Texas “will make us a Democrat stronghold.”
In another part of the manifesto, the author claims his views were formed before President Donald Trump ran for office.
“My opinions on automation, immigration, and the rest predate Trump and his campaign for president,” the document reads.
During a press conference following the shooting, police said the male suspect has a “nexus to a potential hate crime,” reports CNN.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, John Bash told CNN federal authorities are treating the shooting as domestic terrorism because it “appears to be designed to intimidate a civilian population, to say the least… We’re going to do what we do to terrorists in this country, which is to deliver swift and certain justice.”
El Paso County District Attorney Jaime Esparza said his office will seek the death penalty and plans to charge the suspect with capital murder charges.
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