The perpetrator of the 2019 mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso that left 23 people dead, Patrick Crusius, pleaded guilty to capital murder in a Texas state court on Monday.
The guilty plea automatically triggered a life sentence without the possibility of parole, concluding a nearly six-year legal process, drawn out by the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in prosecution leadership.
Crusius had already pleaded guilty in 2023 to 90 federal counts, including hate crimes and weapons charges, resulting in 90 consecutive life sentences. The state plea deal was reached after El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya opted not to pursue the death penalty, citing the wishes of many victims' families who sought closure.
@nbcdfw The long-running criminal case against a Texas gunman who killed 23 people in a racist attack targeting Hispanic shoppers at a Walmart in El Paso in 2019 is on the verge of coming to a close. Patrick Crusius, 26, is expected to plead guilty Monday to capital murder and receive a sentence of life in prison with no possibility of parole for the massacre near the U.S.-Mexico border. Read more at the link above. #elpaso #texas
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On August 3, 2019, Crusius drove over 700 miles from his home near Dallas to El Paso, seeking to target Hispanic shoppers at a Walmart near the U.S.-Mexico border. Armed with an AK-style rifle, he opened fire, killing 23 individuals and injuring 22 others. Victims included U.S. citizens and Mexican nationals, many of whom were simply shopping for back-to-school supplies or groceries when the attack began.
Crusius had posted a manifesto online expressing white nationalist and anti-immigrant views, referencing the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory. During the court proceedings Crusius confirmed that his guilty plea was voluntary.
According to defense attorney Joe Spencer, Crusius believed he was acting under the direction of President Donald Trump. Spencer told El Paso Matters that "He thought he had to stop the invasion because that's what his president was telling him, which is just not rational."
Spencer stated that Crusius had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a condition characterized by symptoms of schizophrenia and mood disorders, and had been influenced by extremist ideologies found online.
In his ruling, Judge Sam Medrano addressed Crusius directly, stating, "You came to inflict terror, to take innocent lives, and to shatter a community that had done nothing but stand for kindness, unity and love. You slaughtered fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. Now as you begin the rest of your life locked away, remember this: your mission failed. You did not divide this city, you strengthened it. You did not silence its voice, you made it louder. You did not instill fear, you inspired unity. El Paso rose, stronger and braver."
With both federal and state sentences in place, Crusius will spend the remainder of his life in prison.
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