El Paso Shooting Suspect’s Mother Called Police Concerned About ‘AK’ Type Gun

The mother of the Texas man accused of gunning down 22 people at an El Paso Walmart has said she called police weeks before the shooting to express concerns about her son owning an “AK” type gun, lawyers for the family told CNN. Patrick Crusius’ mother called the Allen Police Department because she was worried about her son owning the gun due to his age, maturity level, and lack of experience handling such a firearm, attorneys Chris Ayres and R. Jack Ayres said. CNN reports that during the call, a public information officer told her that her son was legally allowed to purchase the weapon. The attorneys said Crusius’ mother did not disclose her name, or the name of her son, and that the officer did not inquire any further during the call. They stressed that the call was “informational,” however, and had not been prompted by any fears of an immediate threat. “This was not a volatile, explosive, erratic behaving kid,” Chris Ayres was quoted as saying, noting that there were no “alarm bells.” It is unclear if the gun she called about was the gun used in the shooting. Crusius, 21, has been charged with capital murder, and District Attorney Jaime Esparza has said his office will seek the death penalty.