‘We’re dealing with domestic terrorism,’ Gov. Abbott says, pledging $5M to El Paso
Texas has made available more than $5 million for El Paso to help the community heal days after a gunman killed 22 people and injured more than two dozen others in an attack targeting Hispanics, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday.
Abbott, speaking in El Paso, also denounced the shooting as domestic terrorism and affirmed state leaders are doing “everything we can to make sure a crime like this doesn’t happen again.”
The investigation indicates Patrick Crusius, who has ties to Allen, drove from the Dallas area to El Paso this past weekend specifically to kill Hispanics, according to El Paso police. A racist, anti-immigrant manifesto believed to be written by Crusius was posted to the website 8chan — a message board previously used by gunmen and terrorists — shortly before the shooting at a Walmart on Saturday.
Abbott on Wednesday said state officials are hoping to develop strategies to root out hate speech online before an attack occurs, as well as ban 8chan. He also said the state needs to “ensure that guns are not in the hands of deranged killers,” while making sure “constitutional rights are not going to be violated.”
He didn’t specifically mention planned changes to gun laws.
The state enacted 25 new laws after the Santa Fe school shooting in which 10 people died, Abbott said. That included increasing security at schools as well as mental health resources.
Abbott said the state again wants to respond strongly, though the two mass shootings are different.
“In this case, we’re dealing with domestic terrorism,” he said before media gathered in El Paso. “We’re dealing with a white supremacist. We’re dealing with racism.”
Abbott made his remarks Wednesday as President Donald Trump journeyed to El Paso and protesters lined streets to say he wasn’t welcome. Some have drawn a line from Trump’s past anti-immigrant comments — about an invasion coming into the country — to the Saturday attack.
Texas politicians have publicly called for Trump to not come to El Paso, including U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar and former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, a Democratic presidential candidate.
Asked about the feelings in El Paso about the president visiting, Abbott simply said he’s sure there are people who want him there and others who don’t want him there.
He also said he had spoken with Trump as well as Vice President Mike Pence, who both “reaffirmed their commitment to assisting Texas and responding to this challenge.”
Abbott wasn’t specific on potential policy changes in his remarks but said “we’re going to be looking into everything” that could “keep El Paso safe and all Texans safe.” He has been an outspoken supporter of the National Rifle Association, and on Twitter has encouraged more Texans to buy guns.
He said he will soon announce roundtable discussions with various experts and political leaders to discuss possible actions that could help avoid a future mass shooting. One will take place in Austin, he said, and he hopes one can be held in El Paso.
“The people of Texas have been victimized by several mass shootings,” Abbott said. “It must be stopped.”
This story was originally published August 7, 2019 at 4:36 PM.