Miami, (EFE)
The place currently also serves to house immigrants, who are from that country, according to the director of the refuge, Víctor Maldonado.
The head of the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center told local media that most of the victims were Venezuelans.
In addition, that six other people were injured, although he did not specify if the latter are also from the South American country.
The video of the incident
Maldonado said he reviewed surveillance video from the shelter after receiving a call informing him of the accident.
When he arrived at the scene, he found that the people he was waiting for were sitting on the sidewalk at the time of the accident.
He qualified that the bus stop is located on the other side of the street from the shelter and is not signposted, in addition to lacking a bench to sit on.
“What we see on the video is that a Range Rover went through a light about a hundred feet away and hit people who were sitting at the bus stop,” Maldonado said.
Venezuelan migrants prepare vigil
The media indicates that the Centro Obispo Enrique San Pedro Ozanam shelter is the only one that operates at night in the city of Brownsville.
In addition, from his work at the shelter, the bishop manages the release of thousands of migrants from federal custody.
They also point out that the Venezuelan community in Brownsville reported that it is preparing a vigil for the migrants who died in this outrage.
The event will be held this Monday, May 8, at 10:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Minnesota Avenue, where the incident occurred.
As previously reported by the Brownsville Police (Mexico border city) to ABC News, a man was arrested for what happened.
The Police have not yet confirmed the reasons for the outrage, but as explained by Lieutenant Martín Sandoval, they are investigating whether it could have been intentional.
At around 8:30 a.m. local time (1:30 p.m. GMT), the Police received notice that a Land Rover had run over several people who were waiting at a bus stop.
Seven dead on the spot
Upon arrival they found that there were seven people dead at the scene and six more were taken to the hospital with minor or serious injuries.
The driver was detained by several witnesses to what happened and held until the police arrived.
He is receiving medical attention and is undergoing tests to detect if he had used drugs or alcohol.
The injured are still being counted, Sandoval said, since some of them were transferred in ambulances.
center for migrants
The lieutenant explained that the center is a shelter for the homeless but that due to the immigration crisis that the border is experiencing, it is full of immigrants.
The event occurs when there are only a few days left until the end, on May 11, of the Title 42 immigration regulations.
This was a measure adopted by former Republican President Donald Trump (2017-2021) and later continued by Democratic President Joe Biden.
The objective is to expel migrants on the grounds of the covid-19 pandemic.
To prepare for possible problems generated by the end of this regulation, 1,500 soldiers will be deployed on the border.
This group of members of the US armed forces will be there to support the Border Patrol agents.