Texas man who fatally shot 23 people at El Paso Walmart in 2019 to plead guilty to murder
The Texas gunman who killed 23 people in a 2019 attack targeting Hispanic shoppers at an El Paso Walmart is set to plead guilty to murder charges, finally allowing the case to come to a close.
Patrick Crusius, now 26 years old, is expected to plead guilty to capital murder on Monday and receive a sentence of life in prison with no possibility of parole for the racist mass shooting that took place near the U.S.-Mexico border on Aug. 3, 2019. El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya, a Democrat, announced last month that he was offering Crusius a plea deal to avoid the death penalty on the state charge.
Crusius had previously been sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences in federal court after pleading guilty to hate crime and weapons charges in 2023. Federal prosecutors, under the Biden administration, also ruled out the death penalty for Crusius.
The gunman is expected to serve his time in a Texas state prison. Crusius, who was initially arrested by local authorities, will be transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice if he is sentenced on state charges, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Crusius was just 21 years old when authorities say he drove over 10 hours from his home in suburban Dallas to El Paso and carried out the deadly attack at the Walmart. Prosecutors revealed that Crusius was wearing earmuffs to muffle the sound of gunfire when he began shooting his AK-style rifle in the store’s parking lot. He then moved inside the store and continued firing, trapping shoppers at a bank near the entrance where nine people were killed. He then proceeded to shoot at people in the checkout area and in the aisles before leaving the store and firing at a passing car, killing an elderly man and injuring his wife.
Upon his arrest, Crusius confessed to the shooting to officers. Prior to the attack, he had posted on an online message board, stating that the massacre was “in response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas” and expressing his belief that Hispanics were going to take over the government and economy.
His social media posts also reflected his support for President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, including the construction of a wall on the Southern Border. Trump was in his first term as president at the time of the shooting.
Following the tragic incident, it was revealed that the victims ranged in age from a 15-year-old to grandparents, including immigrants and Mexican nationals who had crossed the U.S. border for routine shopping trips. Jessica Coca Garcia, who survived the attack but sustained leg wounds, expressed her disbelief at the presence of racism and stated, “Racism is something I always wanted to think didn’t exist. Obviously, it does.”
Crusius’ attorney, Joe Spencer, described his client as “an individual with a broken brain” and disclosed that Crusius had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, which can involve hallucinations, delusions, and mood swings.
District Attorney James Montoya explained that he offered the plea deal as most of the victims’ families were eager for the case to conclude, although not all families were in agreement. Montoya, who supports the death penalty and believes Crusius deserves it, highlighted that the case may not have gone to trial until 2028 if they had continued to pursue the death penalty.
Stephanie Melendez, whose father David Johnson died shielding his wife and granddaughter during the attack, shared her relief at the impending conclusion of the case. She initially sought the death penalty for Crusius but later just wanted closure, stating, “I just wanted it to be over. I was done reliving everything.”
The long-awaited resolution of the case brings some solace to the victims’ families and the community of El Paso, allowing them to start the healing process and move forward from the tragic events of August 2019.
