Accused El Paso gunman Patrick Crusius confessed while officers were arresting him, and later said that he was targeting Mexicans in the attack that left 22 dead and dozens injured at a Walmart. According to an arrest affidavit, Crusius emerged from a vehicle that was stopped shortly after the attack with his hands up, telling officers, “I’m the shooter.” Detective Adrian Garcia wrote in the affidavit that Crusius waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak to detectives, telling them that he drove more than 10 hours from his hometown of Allen, Texas, to El Paso to target Mexicans in the attack. The AP reports that eight Mexican nationals died in the shooting. Crusius’ confession to police comes after reports that he allegedly posted a racist manifesto online where he denounced Hispanic people. He is being held without bond on capital murder charges, and federal prosecutors are considering hate-crime charges.
