Gunman who killed 23 in racist attack at Walmart store avoids death sentence

Patrick Crusius during his sentencing hearing in El Paso, Texas (Ruben R Ramirez/Pool Photo via AP)

The gunman who killed 23 people when he targeted Hispanic shoppers at a Walmart store in Texas in 2019 has pleaded guilty to capital murder and was scolded by a judge over the racist attack in El Paso near the US-Mexico border.

Patrick Crusius, a white 26-year-old community college dropout, wore a striped jumpsuit, shackles and a protective vest in the El Paso courtroom, as many dozens of victims’ relatives waited in the gallery to address him face to face.

Crusius did not address the families while accepting his plea deal, which meant he would not face the death penalty.

Now as you begin the rest of your life locked away, remember this: your mission failed

He had already been sentenced to 90 consecutive life terms on federal hate crime charges.

Accepting the plea agreement from Texas prosecutors means an end to six years of efforts to punish Crusius by state and federal authorities.

He drove more than 700 miles from Dallas to carry out the shooting on August 3 2019.

“You came to inflict terror, to take innocent lives and to shatter a community that had done nothing but stand for kindness, unity and love,” state district Judge Sam Medrano said.

“You slaughtered fathers, mothers, sons and daughters.

“Now as you begin the rest of your life locked away, remember this: your mission failed.

A woman wipes tears from her eyes during the sentencing (Ruben R Ramirez/AP)

“You did not divide this city, you strengthened it; you did not silence its voice, you made it louder; you did not instil fear, you inspired unity: El Paso rose, stronger and braver.”

“Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty and for no other reason?” Judge Medrano asked the defendant.

“Yes, your honour,” Crusius calmly responded before he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

His lawyer Joe Spencer told the court: “We offer our deepest condolences”, adding: “Patrick will leave prison only in a coffin on God’s time.”

Crusius also pleaded guilty to 22 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which were enhanced with violence and prejudice findings, in relation to 22 victims who were injured but survived. He was sentenced to 22 additional life sentences on those charges.

Patrick Crusius was led into court in a protective vest (Omar Ornelas/Pool Photo via AP)

He had acknowledged he targeted Hispanics in the attack at the Walmart in the border city that was crowded with weekend shoppers from the US and Mexico.

In a posting to an online message board just before the massacre, Crusius said the shooting was “in response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas”.

Mr Spencer told the court Crusius has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, which can be marked by hallucinations, delusions and mood swings.

“His thinking became increasingly divorced from reality. We share this not as an excuse, but as part of the explanation for the inexplicable,” the lawyer added.

Before the attack, Crusius appears to have been consumed by the US immigration debate, posting online in support of building a border wall and praising the hard-line border policies of Donald Trump, who was then in his first term as president.

The people who were killed at the Walmart ranged in age from a 15-year-old high school athlete to elderly grandparents and included immigrants, a retired bus driver, a teacher and several Mexican nationals who had crossed the border on routine shopping trips.