El Paso, Texas: The man responsible for the 2019 racially motivated mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, which left 23 people dead and 22 others wounded, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to capital murder.
Patrick Crusius, 26, formally entered his guilty plea in a Texas court on Monday. El Paso’s District Attorney James Montoya confirmed that the shooter will serve life sentences for both the capital murder charge and 22 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
During the court proceedings, Montoya solemnly read the names of the 23 individuals who lost their lives, along with the 22 people injured in the attack—an act that local media described as deeply emotional and somber.
The District Attorney previously announced he would not pursue the death penalty if Crusius agreed to plead guilty, citing the desire of many families for closure.
“I know many wanted us to continue pursuing the death penalty against the shooter,” Montoya said in a statement following the sentencing. “After nearly six years, many families just wanted it to be over. And now it is.”
Judge Sam Medrano handed down the life sentences, ensuring Crusius will never be eligible for parole. Following the sentencing, victims and family members began delivering their impact statements in court—a process expected to continue through Wednesday.
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Crusius had already admitted guilt in federal court last year, pleading guilty to a 90-count indictment that included hate crimes and firearms offenses. In that case, he received 90 consecutive life sentences. According to federal prosecutors, Crusius confessed he targeted victims based on their Hispanic ethnicity and intended to kill every person he shot.
The August 3, 2019, massacre marked one of the deadliest attacks on the Latino community in modern U.S. history, with the shooter having driven over 600 miles to carry out what he called a response to a “Hispanic invasion of Texas.”
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The conclusion of the state trial brings an end to years of legal proceedings, though the scars of the violence remain etched in the El Paso community.
