Accused El Paso gunman’s bizarre post before shooting massacre

Authorities are examining a racist online manifesto allegedly posted on social media by the accused El Paso gunman.

The accused gunman who killed 20 people at a shopping centre in the United States allegedly posted a manifesto that expressed support for the Christchurch massacre gunman.

Authorities are examining the document, allegedly posted to online message board 8Chan hours before the El Paso massacre, in a bid to establish whether it was written by accused gunman Patrick Crusius.

“I am simply defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by an invasion,” it states.

Twenty people are dead and 26 have been injured in the mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, that has shocked and stunned the world.

Twenty-six people, including a four-month-old baby, a two-year-old child and a nine-year-old, were wounded at the shooting in the Cielo Vista mall, El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said.

The 21-year-old suspect, described as “a loner” and “a troubled youth”, was arrested without incident and is in custody.

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The manifesto, titled The Inconvenient Truth, was posted by an anonymous user who posted another document under the file name “P. - Crusius.” That file was taken down, and it is not clear what it contained, according to AAP

A Twitter account that appeared to belong to Crusius was shut down on Saturday evening local time.

Tweets on the account had praised President Donald Trump and, in particular, his effort to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.

The manifesto begins by voicing support for the Christchurch mosque attack, in which Australian accused terrorist Brenton Tarrant allegedly shot dead 51 men, women and children in March, before declaring the El Paso attack to be “a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas”.

There’s a reason the Walmart shooter in custody went to El Paso instead of carrying out the attack in his hometown in Allen, Texas ... I can’t share info yet but it’ll all make sense soon. There is a lot more to the story than what networks are reporting.

— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) August 4, 2019

BREAKING: FBI investigating possible manifesto from the shooter which starts with the following two sentences: "In general, I support the Christchurch shooter and his manifesto. This attack is a response to the
Hispanic invasion of Texas"

— Scott Stedman (@ScottMStedman) August 3, 2019

It refers to the so-called Great Replacement — a white supremacist conspiracy theory that claims people of European descent are being overwhelmed.

“Even if other non-immigrant targets would have a greater impact, I can’t bring myself to kill my fellow Americans,” the manifesto states.

“In short, America is rotting from the inside out, and peaceful means to stop this seem to be nearly impossible. The inconvenient truth is that our leaders, both Democrat AND Republican, have been failing us for decades.”

This CCTV image obtained by KTSM 9 news channel shows the gunman identified as Patrick Crusius, 21, enter the Cielo Vista Walmart. Picture: KTSM

Accused gunman Patrick Crusius allegedly seen opening fire. Picture: KTSM

It also said automation was people taking people’s jobs and that immigration should end.

The manifesto said the plan to launch the attack predated the election of Donald Trump.

“I know that the media will probably call me a white supremacist anyway and blame Trump’s rhetoric,” it said.

“The media is infamous for fake news. Their reaction to this attack will likely just confirm that.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he was not surprised to hear Crusius may have authored a manifesto.

“That would perhaps be why he did this,” he told reporters.

Crime journalist Scott Stedman said he reported the manifesto to the Federal Bureau of Investigation after he found it circulating on 8Chan.

“I can report that the FBI is investigating this manifesto and taking it seriously,” he tweeted.

A law enforcement source told CBS that Crusius was considered “a troubled youth” and “a loner”.

Chief Allen said authorities were investigating whether the massacre was a hate crime, after finding the manifesto believed to be written by the suspect online.

Authorities are looking at potentially bringing capital murder charges against him, Allen said.

ALLEGED GUNMAN LIVED AT HOME WITH PARENTS, TWIN SISTER

Public records show Crusius’ last known address was his family’s home in Allen, Texas, about 30 minutes outside of Dallas and more than nine hours’ drive from El Paso.

He appeared to have lived with his parents twin sister Emily and their older brother.

Crusius’ family has made no public comment about the massacre, but two former associates who attended school with the alleged shooter and his sister told the Washington Post the school collectively thought of Patrick Crusius as “the strange one” of the pair.

An undated photograph from accused mall massacre gunman Patrick Crusius’s social media. Picture: Facebook

This dipshit white supremacist terrorist Patrick Crusius drove over 650 miles from Allen, Texas to El Paso just to kill Hispanic Americans claiming “in response to Hispanic invasion of America”; in f*%king Texas, a place that was part of Mexico before it ever was part of US! pic.twitter.com/9GxxYVyntT

— Carl Zha (@CarlZha) August 3, 2019

After graduating from high school, Crusius attended Collin College in McKinney, Texas where he was still believed to be enrolled at the time of the massacre.

“We are saddened and horrified by the news of the shooting today in El Paso, Texas,” District President Dr. Neil Matkin said in a statement.

“A student by the name of Patrick Crusius attended Collin College from fall 2017 through spring 2019.

“Collin College is prepared to co-operate fully with state and federal authorities in their investigation of this senseless tragedy.

“We join the governor and all Texans in expressing our heartfelt concern for the victims of the shooting and their loved ones.”

Some media outlets obtained a screenshot of Crusius’s LinkedIn page — last updated in 2015 but deleted soon after the Walmart shooting — which offered more details about his life.

The LinkedIn page of accused gunman Patrick Crusius was deleted after the El Paso mall shooting. Picture: Screenshot/LinkedIn

In his bio section he said he attended Plano High School but did not take part in extra-curricular activities because of “a lack of freedom”.

“I’m not really motivated to do anything more than what’s necessary to get by,” he wrote.

“Working in general sucks, but I guess a career in Software Development suits me well. I spend about 8 hours every day on the computer so that counts as technology experience I guess.

“Pretty much gonna see what technology careers present themselves; go with the wind.”

A law enforcement official in El Paso told me the Walmart shooter is in custody. Patrick Crusius of Dallas. Just turned 21 years old this week. pic.twitter.com/CEJh6rYij1

— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) August 3, 2019

CNN said that Facebook was working with police in the aftermath of the shooting to remove a Facebook and Instagram account associated with the suspect.

“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families,” the social media giant said in a statement.

“Content that praises, supports or represents the shooting or anyone responsible violates our community standards and we will continue to remove as soon as we identify it.”

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon posted an Instagram message in the wake of the deadly shooting at a store in El Paso, Texas.

“I can’t believe I’m sending a note like this twice in one week,” he said. “My heart aches for the community in El Paso, especially for the associates and customers at store 2201 and the families of the victims of today’s tragedy. I’m praying for them and I hope you will join me.”

Texas State representative Jeff Leach said he was working with law enforcement in Crusius’s home town.

“I have have been apprised that the shooter, Patrick Crusius, a 2017, graduate of Plano Senior High School, resided in Allen,” he said in a statement.

“I am communicating directly with local law enforcement, Plano ISD leaders and fellow state officials to ensure we are responding appropriately and offering any and all assistance and aid to our friends in El Paso.

20-MINUTE SHOOTING RAMPAGE

Crusius allegedly went on a 20-minute shooting spree at the Walmart store, with one witness describing how “he went from aisle to aisle of the store, shooting with rage”.

Disturbing surveillance footage allegedly shows Crusius, who was wearing “miltary grade” earmuffs, walking through the front entrance of the Walmart store with an AK-47 assault rifle.

One law enforcement official told the Washington Examiner he “shot and killed locals that were fundraising outside the Walmart selling water. Children and adults”.

McDonald’s inside Walmart near Cielo Vista pic.twitter.com/DUGz0YsDui

— Joshua Anthony ∞ (@itsjawwsh_) August 3, 2019

After a SWAT team swooped, Crusius surrendered calmly to approaching police and was led away from the scene.

Shocked bystanders snapped images of the alleged gunman walking with police in handcuffs.

Texas Congresswoman Veronica Escobar has described the scene as a “massacre”.

A woman named Vanessa told Fox News she was walking into Walmart when she heard what she describes as “fireworks, really loud fireworks.”

“You could hear the pops, one right after another and at that point as I was turning, I saw a lady, seemed she was coming out of Walmart, headed to her car,” she said. “She had her groceries in her cart and I saw her just fall.”

#BREAKING: New eyewitness video shows 21-year-old #PatrickCrusius being arrested by El Paso police shortly after Walmart shooting spree pic.twitter.com/btIQZxXaW5

— Matthew Keys (@MatthewKeysLive) August 4, 2019