Jania Ashlynn
The legal proceedings of a tragic El Paso massacre are coming to a head as the alleged shooter, Patrick Crusius pleads guilty to a total of 90 federal counts involving murder, hate crimes, and unlawful use of firearms.
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This plea comes nearly four years after the horrific event occurred. On August 3, 2019, Crusius opened fire inside of a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. His heinous acts resulted in the death of 23 individuals and critical injuries to several others.
Hateful Discoveries
During the investigation in 2019, authorities discovered a manifesto written by the shooter. It expressed a deep, racially-charged hatred for the Mexican and Latinx communities. The writings were posted to the white-nationalist, anti-immigrant message board 8chan.
Crusius originally pleaded not guilty to all of the federal charges brought against him. The trial was set to start in January of 2024, but as negotiations continued, he eventually agreed to change his plea.
All 90 charges were read aloud in the Texas courtroom as Crusius stood and plead guilty to each of them. Loved ones sat and listened in anguish as the names of every victim were read by the judge. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June of this year. The prosecution is seeking several consecutive life sentences.
Legal Progression
With federal proceedings coming to a close, Crusius is still facing state charges of capital murder. The shooter still maintains a plea of not guilty for his state-level crimes. A trial date has not been set.
This mass shooting has been added to a painfully long list of gun crimes that have ravished communities across the United States. Some regulations have been put into place in regard to the ownership and usage of firearms, but large changes have yet to be made by political officials.
