Mexican officials on Monday said their government considers Saturday’s shooting at an El Paso, Texas department store that claimed eight of the country’s citizens to be an “act of terrorism.”
The Aug. 3 shooting at the crowded Walmart has outraged Mexican leaders, with many in the country reeling from revelations the shooter may have targeted Mexican nationals. Foreign Minister Marcel Ebrard said Mexico would take legal action against the business that sold the shooter the firearm.
Ebrard added that Mexico’s attorney general would declare Saturday’s events an act of terrorism, which would give prosecutors access to information about the case. The attorney general would then decide whether to move forward with an extradition request for the 21-year-old suspect, Patrick Crusius.
“For Mexico, this individual is a terrorist,” Ebrard said.
Investigators believe the shooter posted a rambling online manifesto in which he railed against a perceived “invasion” of Hispanics coming into the U.S. The shopping center where the shooting took place is about 5 miles from the main border checkpoint with Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The shooting killed 22 people and wounded 24 others. – READ MORE