Accused El Paso shooter pleads not guilty to deadly attack blamed on Donald Trump’’s rhetoric

Ex-congressman Beto O’Rourke accuses president of ‘inviting terrorism’ ahead of August killing

A man from Texas has pleased not guilty to hate crimes charges over the mass shooting a supermarket, an incident in which Donald Trump’s racist and divisive rhetoric was alleged to have contributed.

Patrick Crusius, 21, entered the not guilty plea in an arraignment waiver document filed after his first appearance in federal court in El Paso, six months after the shooting at a Walmart store killed 22 people.

Mr Crusius faces a separate capital murder trial in state court on the shooting. He has also pleaded not guilty to those charges.

In the aftermath of the shooting, critics of Mr Trump claimed his rhetoric had contributed to the toxic environment that had allowed such an incident to take place.

The alleged shooter was said to have kept an online manifesto in which he wrote racist remarks about Latinos.

He is alleged to have driven almost ten hours from Dallas to attack the El Paso Walmart, because it was known to be used by Mexicans who crossed the border legally to shop there.

Following the shooting, among those to directly link what had happened to Mr Trump’s words and actions, was former congressman Beto O’Rourke, who called for the authorities to launch a buy-back of the kind of semi-automatic weapons used in the incident.

He told The Independent last summer: “There are people in positions of extraordinary power who are inviting this kind of intolerance and violence.”

He added: “When he calls immigrants rapists and criminals, when he describes those who come to this country as an infestation and invasion ... when he stokes this kind of fear, incites this kind of racism, invites the kind of terrorism that we saw, then we have to call him out for what he’s done, call this out for what it is.

“And ask everyone to stand up and be counted at this moment of truth.”

Mr Crusius, in shackles and wearing a suit, appeared before judge Miguel Torres and was informed of his rights. Mr Crusius did not speak during the hearing, communicating through his attorneys.

His court-appointed lawyers in the federal trial, David Lane and Rebecca Hudsmith, declined to comment after the hearing.

Mr Crusius confessed while surrendering and told police he was targeting Mexicans, according to a police affidavit released days after the shooting. Most of those killed were Latinos.

Additional reporting by Reuters