1 Dead, 3 Injured in Shooting at El Paso Mall

Law enforcement officers responding to an active shooter situation at a Walmart near the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas, on Aug. 3, 2019. Joel Angel Juarez/AFP/Getty Images

One person was killed and three others injured in a shooting at an El Paso, Texas, shopping mall on Wednesday.

El Paso police reported that two males were taken into custody after the incident but the details surrounding the cause of the shooting are still unknown.

The Cielo Vista Mall, where the shooting occurred, is being treated as a crime scene and will remain on lockdown until the police have completed their investigation. Despite this, interim police chief Peter Pacillas reassured the public that there is no ongoing danger to the public.

“There is no more danger. I want to repeat that: There is no more danger to the public,” Pacillas said.

Pacillas said the victims of the shooting were all males and two are currently being treated at the University Medical Center in El Paso and are in critical condition. The condition of the third victim is unknown.

Sgt. Robert Gomez, a public information officer with the El Paso Police Department, said 911 calls started coming in at about 5:10 p.m. about the active shooter. He said multiple units responded and attempted to locate the shooter.

The shooting took place in the mall’s food court, which was reportedly busy at the time.

A reunification center has been set up at a nearby high school where those affected by the shooting can connect with their loved ones. The FBI is also involved in the investigation and has set up a website for the public to share any relevant photos or videos of the incident.

The Cielo Vista Mall was nearby to the location of a 2019 mass shooting that left 23 dead at a Walmart.

‘Tragic Event’

Footage from the scene shared on social media shows the moment when customers inside the mall’s food court begin to flee as gunfire is heard. One video, captured on a vendor’s surveillance camera, later shows police holding rifles moving in pursuit of the shooters, and first responders carrying a victim out on a stretcher.

Responding to the shooting, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott thanked law enforcement and first responders, and offered support to El Paso.

“I spoke to Mayor Leeser about the shooting tonight in El Paso,” Abbott said on Twitter. “I offered the full support of the State of Texas, including the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Division of Emergency Management to help the city of El Paso respond to this tragic event.”

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz also thanked the first responders for their swift action.

“My team and I are closely monitoring the horrific act of violence at the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso,” Cruz said on Twitter. “Heidi and I are praying for the victims and we are grateful for the first responders who acted swiftly to capture a suspect and keep our fellow Texans safe.” 

Earlier this month, Texas man Patrick Crusius, 24, pleaded guilty to federal hate crime and weapons charges for the mass shooting he carried out at the El Paso Walmart on Aug. 3, 2019.

According to prosecutors, prior to the shooting, Crusius drove over 10 hours from his hometown near Dallas to the predominantly Latino city. Just before the incident, Crusius reportedly posted a document online stating that the shooting was a response to the “Hispanic invasion of Texas.”

The shooting occurred on a busy weekend and took place at a Walmart that is typically frequented by shoppers from both Mexico and the United States. The tragic incident resulted in the deaths of several individuals, while more than two dozen were injured and many others were left traumatized.