HUNGRY TO KILL
Stopped to eat at Walmart
Lost in El Paso after a night-long drive from his hometown across the state, mass murderer Patrick Crusius headed to the local Walmart — where he would eventually slaughter 22 people — and grabbed a bite to eat, the city’s police chief said Monday.
Police believe that Crusius, 21, cased the store while he ate, leaving his AK-47-assault-style rifle behind in his dark gray Honda.
“He took about 10 to 11 hours traveling from [his home in] Allen, Texas, to El Paso” on Saturday morning, Police Chief Greg Allen said. “As soon as he got here, he was lost in a neighborhood. After that, he found his way to the Walmart because we understand he was hungry. That’s about as far as I can go without getting into too much detail.’’
Asked whether the Walmart was already his target at that point, the chief said, “No, he, I can’t make comment on that directly. Again, that’s part of the investigation.’’
The new details emerged as hospital officials on Monday revealed that two more victims had died, bringing the death toll to 22.
Eight of those killed in the suspected race-hate attack were Mexican nationals, Mexico’s foreign-relations secretary, Marcelo Ebrand, said in a tweet.
The fatalities also included 13 US citizens and a German national, Allen said.
Crusius has been chatty with investigators but has shown no remorse, authorities said.
A police official told CNN that Crusius, who authorities believe posted a rambling anti-immigrant “manifesto” online 20 minutes before his attack, “had a stone-cold look when he was arrested.”
“It was nothing short of evil,’’ the source said. “It was a look I’d never seen before, and I’ve been on this force for 31 years.”
Amid the tragedy came more stories of heroism.
A man died while shielding his loved ones, taking bullets meant for his wife and 9-year-old granddaughter, according to his family.
David Johnson, 63, was killed while his wife, Kathy, and granddaughter, Katie, both survived.
“He was surrounded by 3 gun shells. That could have been 1 each for him, my aunt, and my niece,” Johnson’s niece, Maria Mia Madera, wrote on Facebook.
“He protected them from that murderer. And worked as a shield. If he hadn’t have been there, they wouldn’t have made it.”
Also killed was Maria Eugenia Legarreta Rothe — a 58-year-old mother of four from Chihuahua, Mexico. She was on her way to the El Paso airport to pick up her 16year-old daughter when she stopped at Walmart and was shot dead.
Leonardo Campos, 41, had just dropped off his dog at the groomers’ before heading to Walmart, where he was killed.
Angie Englisbee — an 86-yearold grandmother — was also killed at the store.
There also were new details about the woman who died shielding her 2-month-old son.
Jordan Anchondo’s husband, Andre, was with them and tried convincing the gunman to not shoot, Jordan’s mother, Misti Jameowski, told The Post on Monday.
But Crusius pumped a bullet into him — and it went through him and into Jordan, according to Jameowski.
President Trump is scheduled to visit El Paso Wednesday, said Mayor Dee Margo.