The man accused of killing almost two dozen people in a racist attack at an El Paso Walmart intends to plead guilty to federal counts in the case, court documents showed.
If found guilty in connection with the 2019 shooting rampage that left 23 people dead, Yahoo! News said Patrick Crusius is still facing a capital murder charge in state court and might still be executed in Texas.
MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 24: Jaime Vado fixes a display in the isle at a Walmart store as they prepare for Black Friday shoppers on November 24, 2015 in Miami, Florida. Black Friday, which is the day after Thanksgiving, is known as the first day of the Christmas shopping season and most retailers offer special deals on the day. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Texas Walmart Shooter To Still Face Death Penalty in Texas
ABC-7 Amarillo reported that prosecutors in the state of Texas may still pursue the death sentence for the alleged anti-Hispanic shooter even while the federal government is not doing so.
Crusius is being prosecuted on both federal and state levels. Should he be found guilty of the state’s capital murder charges and Texas state prosecutors decide to pursue the death penalty against him, he may be put to death.
His federal and state prosecutions are developing concurrently, but it appears that the federal case is going first. The date of his trial for the state charges is not yet known, but a status hearing is set for this Wednesday.
The state’s prosecution against Crusius stalled after the District Attorney overseeing the case, Yvonne Rosales, resigned in November amid allegations of ineptitude. Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, nominated a new DA to take her position.
Crusius is accused of committing 23 counts of murder with a firearm and 23 counts of a hate crime resulting in death in the state of Texas.
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Racist Manifesto Posted Online
VOA News mentioned that Crucius was open about his racism and the idea that Hispanics were encroaching on Texas. On the now-defunct 8chan message board, which was favored by radicals and white nationalists, he uploaded his manifesto.
His arrest warrant states that he willingly turned himself up to police, confessing to being the shooter in the Walmart incident and that he had been targeting Mexicans.
He seems to have scheduled his attack for a busy weekend with customers from both the United States and Mexico shopping at that particular El Paso Walmart, as it transpired on August 3, 2019. There were several Mexican citizens among the injured.
