On Monday, the gunman who shot and killed 23 people at a Texas Walmart in one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. History is expected to take a plea deal in state court to avoid the death penalty.
Patrick Crusius admitted that he was targeting Hispanics when he opened fire on August 3, 2019, in the border town of El Paso, which was crowded with weekend shoppers coming from both the U.S.A. and Mexico.
El Paso County district attorney James Montoya said that under the offer, Crusius could plead guilty to capital murder and receive a life sentence without parole.
Texas prosecutors have declined to pursue the death penalty. Montoya said the decision was influenced by the majority of relatives of the victims who wanted the case closed.
Crusius was sentenced to 90 consecutive lifetime terms on the federal level after pleading guilty to hate crime and weapons charges.
Families will be able to give a victim impact statement if the plea agreement proceeds. A similar hearing that lasted for three days in federal court in 2023 saw dozens of people make emotional statements.
Crusius was a 21-year-old white community college dropout when he drove from his home in Dallas to El Paso, more than 700 miles (1100 kilometers).
He opened fire inside and outside of the store with an AK-style rifle, not long after posting a racist rant on social media warning of a Hispanic invasion. Crusius was arrested shortly thereafter.
Joe Spencer, the defense attorney for both state and federal cases, said Crusius had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, which can be characterized by hallucinations and delusions, as well as mood swings. He has also suffered from a debilitating form of mental illness throughout his life.
He said, “You’re talking about a person with a brain injury.”
The Walmart victims ranged from 15-year-old high school athletes to grandparents in their 80s. The victims included immigrants, an ex-city bus driver, a retired teacher, tradesmen, including a former metal worker, and Mexican nationals on routine shopping trips.
