American who shot 23 people at Walmart offered plea deal to avoid death penalty

The shooter who killed 23 people at a Walmart store near the US-Mexico border in 2019 could avoid the death penalty if he pleads guilty, according to a proposal from prosecutors.

This is reported by UNN with reference to ApNews.

Details

Patrick Crusius was 21 when he dropped out of college and drove 1,100 kilometers from his home near Dallas to El Paso on the border with Mexico. Shortly before that, he posted several racist statements online about a Latino "invasion" of the state, published messages in support of building a wall on the border, and insisted that Latinos were going to take over the government and the economy.

Soon after, the American opened fire with an AK rifle inside and outside the grocery store. During this attack, 23 people died and 22 were injured. The victims' ages ranged from a 15-year-old schoolboy to grandparents. Among the victims were immigrants, Americans, and several Mexican citizens who crossed the US border during regular shopping trips.

According to police, Crusius was arrested shortly after the shooting at a nearby intersection.

Court decision

In 2023, after pleading guilty to hate crimes, 26-year-old Crusius was sentenced to 90 life sentences. Prosecutors then withdrew their request for the death penalty, although they did not officially explain their decision. They only noted that Crusius suffered from a schizophrenic disorder, which can cause hallucinations, delusions, and mood swings.

However, Crusius was still awaiting a separate trial in a Texas court for committing one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history. For this, the shooter faced the death penalty by injection.

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In 2023, Crusius agreed to pay his victims more than $5 million. Court documents showed that his lawyers and the Department of Justice reached an agreement on the amount of compensation, which was then approved by a US District Judge. Although there was no indication that the shooter had significant assets.

Present time

On Tuesday, March 25, El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya stated that Crusius had been offered a proposal under which he could plead guilty to murder and receive life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. A plea and sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 21.

Montoya stated that the decision to waive the death penalty was made by a majority of the victims' relatives, though not all. Some victims' families were willing to wait as long as it took for a death sentence, but most just wanted the trial to be over.

He added that he personally supports the death penalty and believes Crusius deserves it.

It's about the families of the 23 victims who lost their lives on that terrible day, and the 22 injured, finally getting a resolution in our justice system. No more hearings. No more appeals. He will die in prison.