Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) said she believes the attack Saturday morning on the shopping center in El Paso, Texas that killed 20 people and left more than two dozen wounded was not a random one.
Noting its proximity to the Mexican border, she said Sunday morning, El Paso “is a binational community where we are one region separated by a river but where we share family roots, history, tradition, economies, in many respects.
And so this — the fact that this store was targeted I believe was not coincidental.“The congresswoman, whose district includes El Paso, told ABC’s Chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl on “This Week” that it has “been one of the safest communities in the nation for decades,” but declined to comment on the investigation into the mass shooting.
“I feel it's important to make sure that the investigation goes on without me commenting on it or making certain assumptions,” she said, though she did say the shooter was 21 years old and not from El Paso. “But I will tell you, in this country we have a gun violence epidemic but we also have a hate epidemic.”
“Until we confront that hate and until we confront the weak gun laws that we have, we're going to keep seeing this,” she added. “And the families in this community deserve better. The families in every community in America deserve better.”
Escobar, who was born in El Paso, said the mall in which the shooting took place was located in the center of the community, and is one of the busiest WalMarts — especially on a weekend when families are shopping for school supplies.
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine