Walmart Shooter in Texas Receives 90 Consecutive Life Sentences, Still Faces Potential Death Penalty

A Caucasian shooter responsible for the massacre of 23 Hispanic individuals at a Texas Walmart was sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences on Friday, with the possibility of additional penalties, including the death sentence, still looming.

24-year-old Patrick Crusius had pleaded guilty to almost 50 federal hate crime charges related to the 2019 mass shooting in El Paso earlier this year, marking it as one of the most significant hate crime cases ever prosecuted by the U.S. government.

During the hearing, Crusius, outfitted in a jumpsuit and shackles, remained silent and exhibited no emotional response to the delivered sentence. U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama suggested Crusius serve his sentence in a maximum-security prison located in Colorado.

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Crusius faces a separate trial in a Texas court which may potentially culminate in him receiving the death penalty for one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history.

As Crusius was escorted out of the courtroom, a victim’s son shouted out at him. Dean Reckard, son of victim Margie Reckard, bellowed, “We’ll be seeing you again, coward. No apologies, no nothing.”

According to law enforcement, Crusius travelled over 700 miles from his residence near Dallas with the intent of targeting Hispanics using an AK-style rifle within and around the store. Before initiating his attack, Crusius uploaded a racially charged diatribe online, alleging a Hispanic “invasion” of Texas.

In the wake of the shooting, some Republicans have referred to the southern U.S. border migration as an “invasion,” disregarding objections that such language promotes anti-immigrant sentiments and violent acts.

After federal prosecutors dismissed the death penalty, Crusius pleaded guilty in February. However, Texas prosecutors have expressed their intent to seek the death penalty for Crusius during his trial in state court. The trial date has yet to be determined.

Crusius’ lawyer, Joe Spencer, informed the judge during the sentencing that his client suffers from a “broken brain.”

“Patrick’s cognition is incongruent with reality… leading to delusional thinking,” said Spencer.

According to Spencer, Crusius was distressed by his violent thoughts and quit his job at a cinema due to these internal conflicts. Crusius had sought help online for his mental health and withdrew from a community college near Dallas owing to his struggles.

Spencer stated that Crusius arrived in El Paso without a specific target, ending up at Walmart.

“Patrick acted with his broken brain trapped in delusions,” Spencer said.

The sentencing followed two days of impact statements from the victims’ relatives, including Mexican and German nationals. Along with the deceased, more than two dozen individuals sustained injuries, and numerous others experienced severe trauma as they hid or escaped.

Family members took turns addressing Crusius, describing how their lives have been irrevocably affected by their loss and pain. Some extended forgiveness to Crusius, while one man insisted Crusius look at photographs of his murdered father.

Bertha Benavides, whose husband Arturo was among the victims, said, “You left children without parents, you left spouses without partners, and we still need them,” addressing Crusius.

Crusius’ family was not present in the courtroom during the sentencing phase.

This incident marked the deadliest of the dozen mass shootings connected to hate crimes since 2006 in the U.S., according to a database compiled by The Big Big News, USA Today, and Northeastern University.

Before the shooting, Crusius was observed fervently engaging in the nation’s immigration debate, using hashtags like #BuildtheWall and praising former President Donald Trump’s strict border control policies. He amplified his sentiments in a rant preceding his attack, cautioning that Hispanics were about to take over the government and economy.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Hanna, who prosecuted the government’s case, described Crusius as someone who had subscribed to the “insidious lie” that America was exclusively for white people.

“He aimed to eliminate an entire group of people,” Hanna said. “It was an attack on the very core of what makes this community so unique.”

Amaris Vega, whose aunt died in the attack while her mother barely survived a critical chest injury, criticized Crusius’ “pathetic, sorry manifesto” in court.

“But guess what? You didn’t. You failed,” Vega said. “We are still here and we are not going anywhere.”

The victims ranged in age from a 15-year-old athlete to multiple elderly grandparents, including immigrants, a retired city bus driver, teachers, skilled workers, and several Mexican nationals on routine shopping trips.

Margaret Juarez, whose 90-year-old father was murdered and whose mother survived despite being injured, expressed ironic satisfaction that Crusius will spend his life in prison surrounded by racial and ethnic minorities. Juarez and others in the courtroom celebrated their freedom.

“Swim in the waters of prison,” she addressed Crusius. “Now we’re going to enjoy the sunshine. … We still have our freedom, in our country.”

Reported from Austin by Weber.

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• Texas gunman gets 90 consecutive life sentences
• Texas Walmart shooter may still face death penalty
• Background on the Texas Walmart shooting
• Details of the sentencing and impact statements
• Coverage of the trial and legal proceedings