Mexico City – Mexico's government on
Wednesday doubled down on its assertion that the August 3 mass
shooting in El Paso, Texas, was an act of terrorism against
Mexicans and urged the United States to ensure the incident was
designated as such.
Speaking after meetings on Tuesday between US and Mexican
government officials about the case, Mexican Foreign Minister
Marcelo Ebrard told a regular government news conference that
steps needed to be taken to prevent future killings.
"It's very important to persevere, to specify, clarify and
demand that measures are taken so that this is not repeated, and
the first measure is to classify it for what it is, an act of
terrorism that seeks to take Mexican lives," Ebrard said.
Twenty-two people lost their lives in the shooting at a
Walmart store in the US border city, an event Mexico quickly
said it would investigate as a terrorist act.
A four-page statement believed to have been authored by the
suspected shooter Patrick Crusius, and posted on 8chan, an
online message board often used by extremists, called the El
Paso attack "a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas."
And according to an El Paso police affidavit released on
Friday, Crusius told police while surrendering that he had been
targeting "Mexicans".
"There will be those who say, 'No, no, no, this isn't
terrorism, it's just one person'," Ebrard said, alongside
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
"Well, it needs to be said that the man who carried out this
despicable, abominable and appalling act is part of a network,
but he also uploaded a manifesto to the network."
"What he says is terrible, but it's not that he's mad; he is
in possession of his faculties," Ebrard added.
The Mexican government has said it may also request the
suspected perpetrator be extradited to Mexico for trial.
The attack caused widespread revulsion in Mexico at a time
of persistent diplomatic tension between Trump administration
and the Mexican government over trade and immigration.
Mexico's government last week pressed the United States to
co-operate in helping to identify white supremacists who are a
threat to its citizens after the attack.