Topic: El Paso

The 2019 El Paso Walmart shooter, Patrick Wood Crucius, is linked to the Timberlawn mental hospital in Dallas through his father's employment there. Timberlawn, which was shut down following reports of patient abuse, was known for unconventional treatments involving hypnosis and multiple personality disorders. Crucius's father reportedly authored a book on transcendental meditation and "Christ consciousness" shortly before the massacre.

Author Charles Bowden explored the complex relationship between El Paso and Juarez in his 2002 book, Down by the River. Bowden argued that the drug industry in Mexico often acts as a more honest and effective employer for the poor than traditional sectors or sweatshops. The book details how the drug trade facilitates a form of wealth redistribution in regions where the legitimate economy has been decimated by political corruption and poverty.