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A gunman who killed 23 people in a racist attack in a Walmart store has been offered a plea deal to avoid the death penalty.
Patrick Crusius, then 21-years-old, drove 700 miles from his Dallas, Texas home in 2019 to carry out the racist attack, where he gunned down Hispanic shoppers at a Walmart near the US-Mexico border.
Shortly after posting a racist rant that claimed there was a Hispanic 'invasion', Crusius killed 23 people and injured 22 more when he open fired in what is considered one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history.
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When he was arrested by cops at an intersection, he reportedly confessed to the crime.
Prosecutors have long been demanding he be put to death by lethal injection, however, a Texas prosecutor announced on Tuesday (March 25) that he has been offered a plea deal to avoid capital punishment in exchange for life in prison without the possibility of parole.
El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya said in a news conference that the decision was driven by the victims' relatives who want a 'resolution' as opposed to a probable lengthy legal battle.
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"This is about allowing the families of the 23 victims who lost their lives on that horrific day — and the 22 wounded — to finally have resolution in our court system,” Montoya said, as per PBS.
“Now, no one in this community will ever have to hear the perpetrator’s name ever again,” he added. “No more hearings. No more appeals. He will die in prison.”
He said in a 'worst-case scenario,' the pursuit of a death penalty and trial could drag on until 2028.
However, Montoya also recognised that not everyone will agree with the offer as prosecutors had previously outlined their commitment to taking the case to a trial to seek the death penalty.
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The plea hearing and sentencing, scheduled for April 21, will see families give victim impact statements and Crusius put behind bars for life for capital murder.
The now 26-year-old was already sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences at the federal level after pleading guilty in 2023 to hate crimes, which under the Biden administration meant the death penalty was removed as an option.
Montoya said he believes Crusius deserves execution but that there was a consensus amongst victims to wrap the proceedings up sooner.
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His predecessor, Bill Hicks, said removing the death penalty is 'not the reasoning I would have followed' but praised Montoya for making the 'difficult decision'.
In the lead-up to the attack, Crusius appeared incensed by immigration in the US and was a vocal supporter of some of the hardline approaches by President Donald Trump during his first term, like building the border wall.
Republican Governor Greg Abbott slammed the decision, saying: "I think the guy does deserve the death penalty, to be honest. Any shooting like that is what capital punishment is for."
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Crusius' attorney, Joe Spencer, told CCN in the apparent plea deal that he was 'always willing to accept responsibility' for the killings and that he 'knows that he is going to spending the rest of his life in prison and that he will never leave prison alive.'
The people he gunned down ranged in age, from a 15-year-old high school athlete to elderly grandparents, and in professions from teachers and tradesmen to a retired city bus driver and other Mexican nationals who crossed the border just for the shopping trip.
In 2023, Crusius agreed to pay more than $5 million to his victims.
Prosecutors also said Crusius has mental health issues from a schizoaffective disorder, which is characterized by hallucinations, delusions and mood swings.
If you have been affected by the contents of this article, please find more information and support via Survivors Empowered on their website.