The gunman who killed 23 people in a racist attack at an El Paso, Texas Walmart parking lot in 2019 will avoid the death penalty.
El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya said Tuesday that Patrick Crusius, 26, is expected to accept a plea deal and avoid lethal injection. Montoya said the deal provided “resolution in our court system” and concludes the case “as quickly as possible” for the victims’ families.
“No more hearings. No more appeals. He will die in prison,” Montoya said.
The shooting occurred on a Saturday morning in Aug. 2019 at a Walmart that is popular with both U.S. and Mexican shoppers.
Crusius, 21 at the time, surrendered to police at the scene and said he was targeting Mexicans — whom he claimed were invading Texas — in a hate-filled manifesto posted before the shooting. He had driven 10 hours from Dallas to El Paso to commit the massacre.
Twenty-two were killed at the scene and a 23rd victim died months later from his injuries. Another 26 were wounded.
He was charged with capital murder in Texas several weeks after the shooting.
Crusius was previously given 90 consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty to dozens of federal hate crime and firearm charges.