The gunman who killed 23 people in a racist attack at a Walmart in El Paso—one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history—pleaded guilty Monday to capital murder in a state district court on Monday, per the AP. Patrick Crusius, 26, who appeared in court wearing a striped jumpsuit, shackles, and a protective vest, will be automatically sentenced to life in prison without parole. "Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty and for no other reason," asked Judge Sam Medrano. "Yes, your honor," Crusius calmly responded.
Crusius has acknowledged he targeted Hispanics on Aug. 3, 2019, when he opened fire in a Walmart in the Texas border city that was crowded with weekend shoppers from the US and Mexico. "Now as you begin the rest of your life locked away, remember this: your mission failed," the judge told him. "You did not divide this city, you strengthened it. You did not silence its voice, you made it louder. You did not instill fear, you inspired unity. El Paso rose, stronger and braver."
The change of plea came after local prosecutors took the death penalty off the table. El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya said that decision was driven by a majority of victims' relatives who want the case to be over. Joe Spencer, one of Crusius' attorneys, said Crusius has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, which can be marked by hallucinations, delusions, and mood swings, and has suffered from debilitating mental illness for most of his life. He said Crusius "became consumed by extreme ideologies found online." Crusius has never offered an explicit apology for his actions. He has already been sentenced to 90 consecutive life terms at the federal level.
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