The suspect in last weekend’s mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, reportedly told police he was targeting “Mexicans” and confessed to carrying out the attack when he surrendered to law enforcement.
The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Patrick Crusius, told police “I’m the shooter,” detective Adrian Garcia wrote in the arrest affidavit obtained by The Washington Post on Friday. The gunman had opened fire at a Walmart.
“The defendant stated once inside the store he opened fire using his AK-47 shooting multiple innocent victims,” Garcia said, according to the Post, adding that Crusius clarified his targets were “Mexicans.”
Crusius surrendered to police after they spotted a car stopped at an intersection near the Walmart where the shooting occurred, emerging from the vehicle with his hands in the air.{mosads}
Police have been investigating a manifesto posted online shortly before the attack that included anti-immigrant rhetoric and warned of a “Hispanic invasion.” The attack left 22 people dead and two dozen others injured.
Crusius reportedly told authorities he traveled from Allen, Texas, a Dallas suburb, to El Paso with an assault rifle and multiple magazines to conduct the shooting.
Federal authorities have labeled the attack an act of domestic terrorism and are mulling bringing hate crime charges against the suspect.
Crusius has been detained since his surrender and authorities say he is cooperating with their investigation. He waved his right to an attorney, according to the affidavit.
The violence in El Paso was followed up by another mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, just hours later, though the attacks are not believed to be connected.