Texas Walmart Shooter: Federal Prosecutors Will Not Seek Death Penalty for Suspect Who Targeted Latinos
The Walmart Shooter who killed nearly two dozen people at a Walmart in West Texas back in 2019 might not be getting the death penalty. Patrick Crusius went to a Texas Walmart and targeted Mexicans during his rampage and killed 23 people in his hate crime. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Federal prosecutors will not seek the death penalty for a Texas Walmart shooter who killed nearly two dozen people, including some Latinos, in 2019.

During the August 3 shooting rampage, Patrick Crusius, who targeted Mexicans, went to a Walmart store in El Paso, killed 23 people, and left dozens wounded.

In a one-sentence notice filed Tuesday with the federal court in El Paso, the U.S. Department of Justice revealed that they will not be seeking capital punishment against the Texas Walmart shooter.

However, Crusius, 24, is facing various federal hate crimes and firearms violations in addition to the murder case he is facing in state court. He has pleaded not guilty.

The Associated Press reported that while federal prosecutors did not seek the death penalty for Crusius, he could still get capital punishment if convicted in state court.

Federal prosecutors did not reveal why they are not pursuing the death penalty against the Texas Walmart shooter.

Texas Walmart Shooter Faces 90 Hate Crime Charges

Patrick Crusius is reportedly facing 23 counts of committing a hate crime resulting in death and 23 counts of using a firearm to commit murder, among other charges, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

In 2020, the Texas Walmart shooter pleaded "not guilty" to 90 federal hate crime charges in the case, according to Reuters. The proceedings for his case were then delayed as prosecutors decided whether to pursue the death penalty against him.

That same year, Crusius' lawyers argued that he should not face execution if convicted as he was diagnosed with severe, lifelong neurological and mental disabilities.

When he was arrested minutes after the shooting, the jail's mental health professionals said the Texas Walmart shooter was in a 'psychotic state" and was treated with "anti-psychotic medication."

Crusius previously posted in the now-defunct online message board, 8chan, that the Texas Walmart attack was "a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas."

El Paso Prosecutor Resigns for Mishandling Texas Mass Shooting Case

The decision not to pursue the death penalty against the Texas Walmart shooter came less than two months after an El Paso prosecutor was forced to resign amid the rising criticism of her handling of the case.

According to NPR, then-El Paso County District Attorney Yvonne Rosales, a Democrat, agreed to resign following allegations of incompetence in handling hundreds of criminal cases in El Paso, including the Texas Walmart shooting case.

As for Crucius, prosecutors said that to commit his act of hate and violence against Latinos, he drove 11 hours to El Paso from his hometown of Allen, near Dallas.

He used an AK-47 rifle inside the Walmart and targeted those of Mexican descent, killing 23.

After officers confronted him outside, he surrendered and admitted that he was targeting Mexicans. Eight of the victims were reportedly Mexican nationals.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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