Two Latinos Shot By Texas Rancher, They Allege Racism

Norberto Velez, 56, and his son Norangel Velez were driving around looking for land to buy outside of El Paso, Texas Wednesday when a wrong turn put them face-to-face with a yet-to-be-named rancher who shot them repeatedly for trespassing on his land. Apparently his land was not very well marked, although the men recognized this was probably private property (seeing as how they were looking to buy and all).

The rancher then drove the two wounded men 20 miles to receive medical attention, but the younger Velez claims the only reason they were shot was because of their race. KTSM.com reported and The El Paso Times published what the younger Velez said happened:

“‘Get down, get down, I’m going to kill you, I’m going to kill you.’ That’s all he ever said; he never said anything else but that,” Velez told the television station.

“He never said freeze, he never gave us a warning, he never came out in front of us and say what we’re doing here, just boom, boom boom.”

Velez told KTSM he was shot once and his father was shot three times after his father jumped on top of him and saved his life.

“What (the rancher) did was wrong, and the only reason he shot was because we were Hispanic,” Velez told a reporter. “It’s the only reason he shot. He thought we were immigrants. I’ve lived here all my life.”

The Texas Rangers, state police, are now investigating the incident, which occurred in Hudspeth County, the same place the sheriff, Arvin West, told ranchers to arm themselves against potential drug smugglers. Now, in all honesty, I can see how this rancher might have been a little freaked out with two random guys on his property in the middle of nowhere, but he obviously realized his reaction was extreme when he drove them to the hospital.

The good thing is that nobody died, the bad thing, obviously, is that obviously there are people in this country who can’t tell the difference between drug dealers and guys out looking for land. All Latinos are not criminals, and in this case, that type of “confusion” nearly cost a man his life. For more on this case click here and here.

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD