Aug. 5 (UPI) — The number of people killed in a shooting attack at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart over the weekend has climbed to 22, the authorities said Monday.
Police said two people who had been hospitalized succumbed to their injuries.
“Sad to report that the number of fatalities increased by one. Victim passed early this morning at the hospital,” the El Paso Police Department tweeted earlier Monday.
Less than 2 hours later, the department raised the toll again.
“Just after [10 a.m.] another victim passed away. The total is now at 22.”
The two were among more than two dozen people injured in the shooting Saturday at a Walmart Supercenter packed with thousands of shoppers.
The lone suspect in the shooting, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius, is being held on state capital murder charges at El Paso County’s downtown jail. U.S. Attorney John Bash, for the western district of Texas, plans to pursue federal hate crime, domestic terrorism and federal firearm charges separately from the state charges.
El Paso County District Attorney Jaime Esparza said Sunday his office will seek the death penalty on the state murder charges.
Minutes before the shooting, Crusius allegedly posted an anti-immigrant document online, though investigators have yet to officially state a motivation for the attack.
Six of the dead and seven who were injured were Mexican nationals, Mexican President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador said.
