EL PASO, Texas – A documentary titled “915″ is set for a theater release soon, pending COVID-19 openings. The film closely examines the El Paso Walmart mass shooting that occurred one year ago, on Aug. 3, 2019.
The El Paso Walmart shooting is ranked as the nation’s sixth-worst mass shooting to date. Documentary filmmaker Charlie Minn said the 23 people who died and 23 others injured during the shooting were victims of “the worst hate crime against Hispanics.”
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A reference to the El Paso area code, the film "915" was set to be released on the first anniversary of the shootings. However, Minn said its release is now tentatively set for Oct. 9, in the hopes movie theaters will reopen by then after being closed due to the current health crisis. Should theaters not be open in time for the new release date, Minn said he has other documentaries streaming on Amazon Prime, and "915" could follow a similar release on the streaming service.
Minn said he wanted to give voice to the victims and their families without mentioning the shooter's name. The shooter is now facing federal hate crime charges.
"The killer told police afterward that he was trying to hunt Mexicans and kill as many as possible," Minn said in the documentary.
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However, despite the admittance, Minn said there has not been activism or a movement similar to the Black Lives Matter movement in response to targeted killings of Hispanics and Latinos, not even in El Paso, the setting of the documentary.
Minn said Hispanics have found themselves targeted before, during "Latin Night" at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, in 2016, and at a McDonald's in San Ysidro, Calif., in 1984.
“Unless we start a serious, compelling dialogue, Hispanics will continue to be targeted,” Minn said. “In El Paso’s case, we just can’t put on a T-shirt that says ‘El Paso Strong.’ We just can’t say that. We need a movement.”
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To watch the trailer for 915, view the video player below: