Washington, DC — Five years ago, on August 3, 2019, a white nationalist attacked El Paso, Texas, murdering 23 people, mostly Latinos, shopping at a Walmart. Before the massacre, the gunman posted a vile screed online where he said his terrorist violence was motivated by his belief in a lie about a “Hispanic invasion of Texas” as part of the great replacement conspiracy theory.
Now, five years later, while continuing to honor and remember the lives lost on that day, we continue to call out the white nationalist and antisemitic replacement theory that not only inspired the El Paso shooter but also motivated deadly bigots who marched in Charlottesville in 2017 with chants of “You will not replace us, Jews will not replace us,” and another deadly terror attack at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018.
According to Mario Carrillo, Campaigns Director of America’s Voice and an El Paso native:
“In El Paso, we already know the realities of what can happen when anti-immigrant shooters are inspired by violent rhetoric. My hometown shares a dubious distinction with Pittsburgh and Buffalo, among other places that have experienced mass casualties by shooters who espouse that same hate.
As an immigrant who was raised in El Paso, it pains me to see elected officials in our state condone white nationalist conspiracy theories and all but endorse bigoted political violence against communities like mine. Our city was shaken to its core five years ago, all because of its demographic makeup, but El Paso has remained resilient and has continued its efforts at welcoming people with dignity. Despite continued right-wing fearmongering and lies about my hometown, El Paso remains one of the safest cities in the nation.
We must demand that the very least our elected leaders can do is not actively encourage more deadly violence against our communities with their rhetoric and actions.”
