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#RAWVIDEO: Woman hides in Walmart as shooting continues in El Paso, Texas

by NewsNewsN

Mass shooting leaves at least 18 dead, dozens injured in El Paso, police say As many as 18 people were killed and dozens more were injured, and a white male in his 20s is in custody, after a mass shooting at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart packed with back-to-school shoppers on Saturday morning, officials said. The wounded ranged in age from a 2-year-old child to an 82-year-old victim. The suspect was identified by authorities as Patrick Crusius, 21. He was "taken into custody without incident" and without any law enforcement officers firing their weapons, according to El Paso Police Department Sgt. Robert Gomez. The alleged shooter's motives remains unknown, Gomez said. Police initially said that there may have been "multiple shooters," but Gomez later clarified that arrested just one person. "At this time, we do have one person in custody. We don't believe there's anybody outstanding," he said. Police did not officially issue a fatality number, but law enforcement sources told ABC News that at least 18 people were killed and dozens more injured. If officially confirmed, it would make the El Paso massacre one of the top ten deadliest shootings in U.S. history. The majority of the victims were shot inside the Walmart, according to Gomez, which at the time contained more than 100 employees and what authorities have preliminarily estimated to be between 1,000 and 3,000 Saturday morning back-to-school shoppers. By 2 p.m. local time, the El Paso Police Department had issued a tweet making an urgent request for blood donations, and directing local residents to two facilities run by Vitalent Blood Services where they could donate blood. Within three hours, photos posted to social media showed lines stretching around the block at locations accepting local blood donors. 'On a mission' Police officials said the first 911 calls came in around 10 a.m. local time. The shooting began in the parking lot outside the Walmart, according to an eyewitness who said she heard gunshots as she drove through the parking lot with her mother. Shopper Vanessa Saenz described the shooter in an interview with ABC News Radio as dressed in cargo pants and a black t-shirt, wearing ear protectors and said he looked like he was "dancing." Moments later, Saenz saw a woman a few feet away fall to the ground. She then described seeing victims near the shooter who became cornered -- with nowhere to run -- and then watched the gunman raise a rifle, aim it at them and start firing. "One thing I'ever never forget is when he walked into walm very confidently, like he was on a mission," she later told ABC News anchor Tom Llamas in an interview for "World New Tonight." At 12:11 p.m. local time, the El Paso Police Department had issued a tweet that said in part, "We have multi reports of multiple shooters."

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