El Paso shooting updates: 22 killed in El Paso Walmart shooting near Cielo Vista Mall

The peace that El Paso is known for was bloodied Saturday when a gunman from out of town killed 22 people at a Walmart near Cielo Vista Mall, officials said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott revealed the death toll from the morning attack in East-Central El Paso during an afternoon news conference after he arrived in the city.

More:Dayton and El Paso gun rampages: 251 mass shootings in the US in 216 days

Police Chief Greg Allen said 26 people were injured. He said preliminary findings indicate the attack might be a hate crime. 

Allen said the active shooter 911 call was received at 10:39 a.m. and the first police officer arrived at 10:45 a.m.

He said the bodies of those killed will remain at the scene until the investigation is completed. 

Officials said the suspect was arrested at Sunmount Drive and Viscount Boulevard, near an entrance to the large shopping complex that includes Cielo Vista Mall, Walmart and Sam’s Club. 

The shooter surrendered to police and only had one weapon, police said. They did not identify the type of rifle used. 

Allen did not comment on a manifesto on Facebook that appears to have been written by the suspect, identified Saturday by two law enforcement officials as Patrick Crusius, 21, of Allen, Texas.

More:The El Paso Walmart shooting suspect has been identified as a 21-year-old man from a Dallas suburb

“This person did not come from El Paso,” El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said at the news conference. “It is not what we’re about. We are a special community and this would not have happened from an El Pasoan, I can assure you.”

El Paso has averaged 18 homicides a year in the past five years, statistics show. The death toll from Saturday's shooting surpassed that in one day.

A video of the scene from Facebook captured the devastation.

At the start of the video, a woman runs toward the store, past a truck that a shopping cart has run into, with a body lying on the ground beside it. 

Children were holding a fundraiser at the store and some reportedly were among the casualties.

At the front of the store, victims' bodies are shown near a table that appeared to have items for sale. The body of a man in blue jeans and a blue shirt is seen on the ground near the table, lying on his stomach, seemingly dead, as a woman rushes over to help. Near him is a woman, taking cover between a garbage can and the wall.

A person is shown lying motionless to the left of the table, under a shade covering set up over it, as a woman tries to help. Nearby, by the wall of the building, a man lies on his side in a pool of dark blood, with a bandage on his back. 

A voice tells him, "Try not to move," adding, "Stay with me, OK?"

Wailing is heard in the background, as people tend to others lying injured nearby.

Police spokesman Sgt. Robert Gomez said police believe there was only one shooter. Police initially said there were reports of multiple shooters.

At a news conference Saturday afternoon, police said a white man was in custody. Officials said more than 1,000 shoppers were in the Walmart, as well as 100 workers.

The suspect was identified as Patrick Crusius, 21, of Allen, Texas, according to two law enforcement officials.  

Investigators are reviewing recent social media posts in connection with a possible motive in the assault, said the officials, who are not authorized to comment publicly.

Officials said reports of attacks at other malls and locations were false.

They also said no police personnel rounds were fired during the attack.

Social media posts support Trump, wall

A Facebook account apparently belonging to the suspect appeared to have been deleted Saturday afternoon.

The account belonging to Crusius had shown a young man in wire-frame glasses. The account showed three friends, including a possible twin sister. LexisNexis records listed Facebook friend Emily Crusius as a “household member” who shared the suspect's birthday month and year.

A Twitter account in the suspect's name, “Patrick Crusius,” using the handle @outsider609, included several tweets supporting President Donald Trump, although the account had been inactive for the past two years.

By Saturday night, it had been suspended.

A January 2017 tweet said, “#BuildTheWall is the best way that @POTUS has worked to secure our country so far!”

It could not immediately be confirmed that the Twitter handle belonged to the suspect.

In a tweet, President Donald Trump called the shooter a coward.

He said: "Today’s shooting in El Paso, Texas was not only tragic, it was an act of cowardice. I know that I stand with everyone in this Country to condemn today’s hateful act. There are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people...."

Rush to escape from shooting

Robert Jurado, a Central El Paso resident, said he and his mother were hiding between two vending machines outside the Walmart when the shooter took aim.

"That's where the individual tried to shoot at me, which he missed 'cause I kind of ducked down," he said. 

Jurado described the shooter as an Anglo man, about 6 feet tall. "He had an AK-47," he said. 

He and his mother survived uninjured, but Jurado said he saw a woman in front of him get hit.  

Romario Robles, a construction contractor from Edinburg, Texas, said he left the Walmart at around 10:30 a.m. "I didn't see anything. Everything was normal."

But, Robles added, he heard sirens around 11 a.m. as he left a cash store on Viscount Boulevard across from the mall, where he had walked. He said he was not allowed to return to retrieve his car, which was still parked at Walmart. 

Michael Richards, 37, of Alamogordo, New Mexico, said his wife, son and nephew were in the Hollister store in Cielo Vista. They hunkered down with a group of people when the shooting began in the nearby Walmart. He said they heard shots but not in the mall.

He was staying in contact with his wife by cellphone as he paced on a sidewalk on Hawkins Boulevard next to Cielo Vista Mall. 

Survivors of the attack who had gathered at the intersection of Sunmount Drive and Viscount Boulevard described the chaos.

Leslie Diaz, 25, started her workday at 7:45 a.m. at the Walmart, which is busy each day with customers from El Paso, Juárez and Chihuahua. She said she was helping customers at the front of the store in the checkout when she heard multiple large “pops” getting closer and louder.

She said she looked at her coworkers, grabbed some customers and led them out of the store as customers began screaming and running toward the exit. 

Near her, Tabitha Estrada, 19, was at a GNC vitamin outlet at the front of the Walmart when she heard customers screaming to get away. She took who she could into a room and locked it. Minutes later, she heard police say, “Come out with your hands up!”

An hour after going into hiding, Estrada was reunited with her mother, Rebeca Rivas, 40, at the intersection of Viscount and Sunmount. They hugged and held each.

“Mija, you’re alive,” Rivas said.

13 victims taken to University Medical Center

A spokesman for University Medical Center of El Paso said the hospital received 13 victims from the shooting. One of the victims died and one was discharged, officials said at a news conference.

Two of the victims taken to UMC were children who sustained nonlife-threatening injuries, officials said. They were transferred to El Paso Children's Hospital, which is next to UMC.

El Paso Children's Hospital President and CEO Cindy Stout said in a news release: “We have the very best surgeons and specialists for treating children in our region. The children that have been brought to us have been stabilized and are receiving the best care possible.”

UMC hospital spokesman Ryan Mielke said extra security was being implemented at the center, where worried relatives began arriving. Counselors also were available.

"Family members who are here may actually have family members at other hospitals, such as Del Sol," Mielke added.

UMC President and CEO Jacob Cintron said in the news release: “This is a terrible tragedy and we are doing everything possible to treat and care for the victims and assist their families. Our hearts go out to all the victims of this terrible incident and we will continue to provide the best possible care in hopes of a quick recovery for all.”

Mielke said the hospital had never dealt with an incident of this magnitude, but personnel have trained for it several times.

3 Mexican citizens killed, 6 wounded

Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said three Mexican citizens were killed in the shooting. The Mexican government said six others were wounded.

It said three were being treated at UMC:

• Mario de Alba Montes, 45, of Chihuahua, who was shot in the back.
• Olivia Mariscal Rodriguez, 44, of Chihuahua, who was shot in the chest and the hand.
• Erika de Alba Mariscal, 10, of Chihuahua, who was shot in the leg.

The other three Mexican citizens were being treated at a hospital on the East Side, officials said.

They were identified only as two men and a woman from Torreon, in Coahuila state, and Juárez.

David Shimp, CEO of Del Sol Medical Center, said in an emailed statement: “Earlier today, the El Paso Police Department and emergency personnel responded to an active shooting that occurred in East El Paso. Of those involved, 11 victims ranging from 35 years old to 82 years old, were transported and are being treated at Del Sol Medical Center. Two patients are in stable condition and nine are in critical condition. 

"For more information, please call the patient hotline at 915-263-6999. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the El Paso community during this tragic event.”

County judge, bishop arrive at UMC

El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego and El Paso Catholic Diocese Bishop Mark J. Seitz arrived at UMC.

"We're just trying to find out what is happening," Seitz said.

Two priests also later arrived.

More than a dozen family members, with worried looks on their faces, were in the UMC waiting room Saturday afternoon. The hospital was bringing in more staff and counselors to help.

During the shooting, police closed the entrances to Cielo Vista Mall and Border Patrol agents blocked Hawkins Boulevard near the mall.

Stores in the area were put into lockdown, including at the Fountains of Farah, which is across the street from Cielo Vista Mall.

El Paso police said people seeking to reunite with their family members should go to MacArthur Elementary-Intermediate School, 8101 Whitus Drive.

Beto O'Rourke's reaction

In Las Vegas for a Democratic presidential forum, former El Paso U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke addressed the mass shooting in his hometown.

“We know that a lot of injury, a lot of suffering is in El Paso right now,” he said. “I am incredibly saddened, and it is very hard to think about this.”

Standing in front of a room of news cameras and reporters, O’Rourke broke into tears.

“But I’ll tell you, El Paso is the strongest place in the world,” he said. “This community is going to come together. I’m going back there right now to be with my family and to be with my hometown.”

He thanked the El Paso Police Department and first responders.

“We have to find some reason for optimism and hope, or else we can resign ourselves to a future where nearly 40,000 people a year will lose their lives to gun violence, and I cannot accept that,” O’Rourke said.

The country must enforce universal background checks on gun buyers, he said, and prohibit sales of military-grade weapons.

“Some initial reports were that it was a military-style weapon used — or weapons used — at Cielo Vista Mall,” O’Rourke said. “Keep that shit on the battlefield. Do not bring it into our communities. I don’t want to see it in our malls or our schools or our churches or in our synagogues.”

Escobar ended town hall as news of the attack broke 

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, was holding a town hall Saturday morning at Coronado High School when news of the shooting broke. She informed those in attendance about the shooting, saying she needed to end the town hall.

Later, she sent an emailed statement: “Today, El Paso is facing the indescribable pain and horror that too many other American communities have had to endure. Our hearts are completely broken by this needless loss of life, especially here in our beautiful home. We mourn for the victims and everyone involved. 

“We are grateful for the courage of our first responders, law enforcement, and El Pasoans who are helping one another. In the very difficult hours and days ahead, our community will provide the strength and comfort the survivors and their families need. And to all of us who have the power to end this horror — I am imploring that we come together, and once and for all address the gun violence epidemic that plagues our nation.”

At a news conference later in the day, Escobar noted that the shooting suspect is not from El Paso, which consistently has been rated one of the safest cities in the United States.

In an emailed statement, Margo said: "Our community will not be defined by this senseless act of violence. We will be defined by the unity and compassion we show in the wake of this tragedy. Adair and I, with the rest of El Paso will pray for and mourn those who we have lost. We will remember their lives and honor their memories together. United, our community will heal. El Paso is too strong to be broken by this cowardly act."

Governor arrives in El Paso

Abbott traveled to El Paso on Saturday afternoon, where he held a news conference with city and state officials.

In an emailed statement beforehand, he said: "Today, the El Paso community was struck by a heinous and senseless act of violence. Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific shooting and to the entire community in this time of loss. While no words can provide the solace needed for those impacted by this event, I ask that all Texans join Cecilia and me in offering our prayers for the victims and their families. The state of Texas and the Department of Public Safety are assisting the El Paso Police Department as they conduct their investigation. We have deployed troopers, special agents, Texas Rangers, tactical teams, and aircraft to the scene in a support role. The state of Texas will do everything it can to ensure justice is delivered to the perpetrators of this heinous act."

On Twitter, Trump called the situation “very bad,” and said he promised Abbott federal support, if needed.

“Spoke to Governor to pledge total support of Federal Government,” the president said. “God be with you all!”

In an emailed statement, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said: “My heart is with everyone in El Paso struck by this unspeakable evil. Heidi and I are praying for the victims and their families and grateful for the first responders, local authorities, and law enforcement officers working tirelessly to bring the perpetrator of this depraved act to justice and keep the entire community safe. There are millions of people in Texas and across the country standing behind you.”

In a statement, Walmart said: “We're in shock over the tragic events at Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, where store 2201 & club 6502 are located. We’re praying for the victims, the community & our associates, as well as the first responders. We’re working closely with law enforcement & will update as appropriate.”

Parents of Parkland shooting victim in El Paso

Patricia Oliver, whose son, Joaquin, was killed in the Parkland, Florida, school mass shooting in 2018, didn’t expect to see a replay of that kind of nightmare when she and her husband, artist Manuel Oliver, arrived in El Paso this weekend. They are in town to honor their son’s 19th birthday, which is Sunday, with the unveiling of Manuel Oliver’s special mural at 7 p.m. Sunday at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, 1500 E. Yandell Drive.

“This is unbelievable. I heard that El Paso is considered one of the safest cities in the country. I heard the same story about Parkland. They were on the same list,” Oliver said Saturday.

Oliver said she and her husband were in Juárez visiting immigrant shelters Saturday when she began receiving a lot of tweets about an El Paso mass shooting.

“This is really sad. This is not normal. This is a social problem,” she said. “We have to open our hearts. If your heart says that this is something that you don’t want to keep seeing because you don’t know when your turn is going to come, you have to do something about it. This is something we all have to stop together.”

She said everyone needs to come together to demand that stronger gun laws be enacted in the United States.

“We have to stop this together,” she said.

More:El Paso Shooting: Here's how you can help, where to get help

Samuel Gaytan may be reached at 915-546-6175; sgaytan@elpasotimes.com; @samuelgaytan on Twitter.

Daniel Borunda may be reached at 915-546-6102; dborunda@elpasotimes.com; @BorundaDaniel on Twitter.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at 915-546-6249; aamartinez@elpasotimes.com; @AMartinez31 on Twitter.

Aaron Montes may be reached at 915-546-6137; amontes@elpasotimes.com; @aaronmontes91 on Twitter.

Vic Kolenc may be reached at 915-546-6421; vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; @vickolenc on Twitter.