EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The gunman who killed 23 people in a racist attack at a Walmart in El Paso — one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history — pleaded guilty Monday to capital murder in a state district court.
Patrick Crusius was automatically be sentenced to life in prison without parole in the massacre near the U.S.-Mexico border. The change of plea comes after local prosecutors took the death penalty off the table.
WATCH: El Paso mass shooting survivors reflect on gun violence and grief 4 years later
Crusius has acknowledged he targeted Hispanics on Aug. 3, 2019, when he opened fire in a Walmart in the Texas border city that was crowded with weekend shoppers from the U.S. and Mexico.
El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya declined to pursue the death penalty, saying that decision was driven by a majority of victims’ relatives who want the case to be over.
Joe Spencer, a defense attorney in the state and federal cases, said the plea agreement brings “judicial finality” to the case and avoids a prolonged proceeding.
“He brought violence and terror to a place of peace,” Spencer said. “He shattered lives and forever changed the landscape of El Paso. … We offer our deepest condolences.”
“Patrick will leave prison only in a coffin on God’s time,” Spencer said.
Crusius has already been sentenced to 90 consecutive life terms at the federal level after pleading guilty to hate crimes and weapons charges.
Crusius was expressionless before the hearing began at the El Paso County courthouse, which was under heightened security. Crusius wore a striped jumpsuit, shackles and a protective vest.
About 100 people from victims’ families were seated in the gallery behind a few rows reserved for media, prosecutors and Crusius’ defense team. They will be given the time to give victim impact statements starting Monday afternoon. Dozens made emotional statements during a similar hearing in federal court in 2023 that lasted for three days.
Crusius, a white community-college dropout, was 21 years old when police say he drove more than 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) to El Paso from his home near Dallas.
Not long after posting a racist rant online that warned of a Hispanic “invasion,” he opened fire with an AK-style rifle inside and outside the store. Crusius was arrested shortly after.
Spencer said Crusius has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder that can be marked by hallucinations, delusions and mood swings, and has suffered from debilitating mental illness for most of his life.
“You are talking about an individual with a broken brain,” he said on Thursday.
The people who were killed at Walmart ranged in age from a 15-year-old high school athlete to elderly grandparents. They included immigrants, a retired city bus driver, a teacher, tradesmen including a former iron worker, and several Mexican nationals who had crossed the U.S. border on routine shopping trips.
Stengle contributed from Dallas.
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