Confessed El Paso shooter faces 90 counts
EL PASO, Texas — The confessed shooter who in August targeted Mexicans at an El Paso Walmart, killing 22 and injuring dozens more, will face federal hate crime charges that carry a potential penalty of death.
A federal grand jury indictment was unsealed Thursday against Patrick Crusius, 21, of Allen. The indictment comes six months after the Aug. 3 mass killing stunned the U.S., Mexico and this borderland region.
The indictment charges Crusius with 90 counts. The first 22 are hate crime resulting in death, for each person he killed; counts 2344 are use of a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a crime of violence; counts 45-67 are hate crime involving attempt to kill; and the remaining 22 counts are use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The indictment, which lists the initials of each victim, says Crusius bought a GP WASR-10 semi-automatic rifle on the internet in June 2019. The weapon is a variant of the AK-47 assault rifle. He also bought 1,000 rounds of “hollow point” ammunition online, according to the indictment.
U.S. Attorney John F. Bash made the announcement with other top officials, including Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and FBI El Paso Division Special Agent in Charge Luis M. Quesada.
Federal and state authorities say Crusius drove some 800 miles overnight from North Texas to hunt down Mexicans. He turned himself in shortly after opening fire on shoppers at the Walmart here.
Crusius already faces state charges on one count of capital murder of multiple persons that claimed victims from both sides of the border. Eight of the victims were Mexican nationals.
Last October, Crusius entered a not guilty plea on state charges, although he had earlier confessed to police. El Paso prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Crusius remains jailed without bond. A special hearing in the state case on the state case is scheduled for Feb. 13.
His first hearing in federal court is set for a day earlier at 10 a.m.
“We support the indictment by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as one more way of holding the shooter accountable,” District Attorney Jaime Esparza said in a statement. “The District Attorney’s Office will continue to work hard to ensure that justice is done and that the shooter is held accountable by our community. The office will fully cooperate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the prosecution of the federal charges to be announced today.”
For the state trial, no trial date or decision on a potential change of venue have been decided.