Less than a week after a gunman targeted Latinxs at an El Paso Walmart, another white man seemed intent on hurting members of Casa Carmelita, an immigrant center in the Texas city. On Facebook, Casa Carmelita broke the news.
“A white supremacist Trump supporter was just detained outside Casa Carmelita,” the organization wrote. “He was sitting in his truck wearing blue latex gloves and brandishing a knife. Police recovered a loaded gun, ammo, and a bag of white powder from his person. This happens just as Trump departs El Paso and follows a pattern of local organizers being targeted and increased violence and hate crimes.”
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=114247379919932&id=110954560249214&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCVd-Oe1G4KCyCMmtRrxSUbRfCCT7oxGp8K3-S7ZSZ28XpAaaMQLhlJovRF38xi_7viDBf_slsaboNOZMGd5uiMarwV91KB-9m8APtTf0CD-Ghc5eFmycGabBTi1_zKTXdmhoWhqRHr7nmvN8QSqsRiZsJmsDmefV6qt5OY4QxhM7yx230U0VyH6OE88jfAnNLyj4hd193npPhoUIfa4Yr88ztz8h0gMdZAI18-0d_n_HI2NgRCdWZNm0wcazejdNRfQyoBCUrhNeeg4ia0J6TGDyJ3uM5o_gIaXbHPNqGi8TNBTwC1BkmISpOREQNr39EoaU8p6gGnmTl7___NyaI&__tn__=-R
While many have identified him online, his identity has yet to be confirmed. Casa Carmelita did post an update on its Facebook page, where it explained that the young white man was detained but quickly released by police. “In the wake of the mass shooting at Walmart this Saturday, the police, when we asked clear questions concerning our safety repeatedly told us that ‘he has rights,’” the org wrote. “What was that large bag of white powder you pulled off of him? Should we be concerned about explosives? Did he have a concealed weapons permit? Police stated that the gunman has rights, that they cannot search his truck, and that they have no cause to arrest him.”
Following the mass shooting at Walmart, many Latinxs around the country have been on high alert, and the fact that Casa Carmelita feels that police brushed off its concerns is not OK.