Voto Latino Responds to the 2019 El Paso Shooter’s Guilty Plea

In response to the gunman’s guilty plea of the August 2019 El Paso mass shooting, Voto Latino released the following statement:

“In August of 2019, we witnessed the most deadly hate crime against the Latino community in modern history, fueled by white supremacy and hatred, killing 23 and injuring 22. For 1,285 days, the families of the victims and the community of El Paso waited, and yesterday we saw a step in the direction of justice for the victims of this tragedy and the community. While we are encouraged by the guilty verdict, nothing can ever repair the damage done to the families and loved ones of those killed that day.

“This kind of hate crime doesn’t happen in a vacuum – they’re a product of toxic conspiracy theories and dangerous rhetoric spread by right-wing media and extreme MAGA Republicans. The El Paso tragedy was one of many episodes in 2019 where individuals committed mass shootings in service of hate against immigrants. As Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in her statement, ‘White nationalist-fueled violence has no place in our society today.’”

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Voto Latino is a grassroots political organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latinx voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Through innovative digital campaigns, culturally relevant programs and authentic voices, we shepherd the Latinx community towards the full realization of its political power.