Blink-182 Band Member Trapped in Hotel During El Paso Shooting

Law enforcement officers respond to an active shooter situation at a Walmart near Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas on Aug. 3, 2019. (Joel Angel Juarez/AFP/Getty Images)

Pop-punk band Blink 182 said they have postponed a show in El Paso, Texas, following a mass shooting that left 20 dead and 26 injured.

Bassist Mark Hoppus said he was placed on lockdown in his hotel after the shooting at a Walmart.

The band tweeted that the show, which was slated to be held on Aug. 4 at the University of Texas at El Paso’s Don Haskins Center, would be rescheduled.

“Following today’s terrible tragedy in El Paso we are postponing our Sunday, August 4th show at the UTEP Don Haskins Arena in solidarity with the community. Please stay tuned for further updates coming soon. Sending our love to the entire community of El Paso,” the band tweeted.

Hoppus, meanwhile, said that “we are locked down in our hotel ... over the intercom system they just announced that there are reports of another active shooter directly across the street at a location different from the first shootings.”

At that point, the intercom system “said there are reports of another shooting across the street at the bassett place mall. i don’t see or hear police or helicopters so hopefully it’s just an over abundance of caution and someone got the malls confused. so terrible,” he added in a Twitter thread.

It was later revealed by police that one suspect was involved in the incident.

Domestic Terrorism?

“We’re treating this as a domestic terrorist case,” US. Attorney for the Western District of Texas John Bash tweeted after he held a press conference.

Bash said the suspect, identified in reports as 20-year-old Patrick Crusius, could face federal hate crime charges and federal firearms charges.

“And we’re going to do what we do to terrorists in this country, which is to deliver swift and certain justice,” Bash added.

Law enforcement officers respond to an active shooter situation at a Walmart near Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas on Aug. 3, 2019. (Joel Angel Juarez/AFP/Getty Images)

Jaime Esparza, the El Paso district attorney, said the suspect was charged with capital murder, meaning his office would seek the death penalty, reported The New York Times.

“We are a good and loving community, but we will hold him accountable,”  Esparza said.

El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said the shooter was being cooperative with investigators.

Law enforcement officers responding to an active shooter situation at a Walmart near the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas on Aug. 3, 2019. (Joel Angel Juarez/AFP/Getty Images)

The Justice Department was weighing federal hate-crime charges that would carry the death penalty, according to a person familiar with the department’s decision-making process. The person was not authorized to speak on the record and spoke on the condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said he did not know where the weapon was purchased. He acknowledged that open carrying a long rifle in Texas is legal under state law. “Of course, normal individuals seeing that type of weapon might be alarmed, but technically he was within the realm of the law,” Allen said.

People arrive at MacArthur Elementary looking for family and friends as the school is being used a re-unification center during the aftermath of a shooting at the Walmart near the Cielo Vista Mall, in El Paso, Texas on Aug. 3, 2019. (Briana Sanchez/The El Paso Times via AP)

“The scene was a horrific one,” Allen said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.