El Paso Walmart shooter pleads guilty to 90 federal charges related to 2019 massacre

The man who barged into a Walmart in El Paso in 2019 and shot 23 people dead in the parking lot and store as he targeted “Mexicans” pleaded guilty on Wednesday to 90 federal charges.

Patrick Crusius, now 24, copped to 23 counts of hate crimes resulting in death, 23 counts of use of a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a crime of violence, 22 counts of hate crimes involving an attempt to kill and 22 counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, the El Paso Times reported.

Prosecutors recommended 90 life sentences as U.S. District Court Judge David Guaderrama accepted the plea at aDowntown El Paso federal courthouse.

Crusius comes up for sentencing in June. Prosecutors opted not to seek the death penalty after he changed his initial not-guilty plea.

Crusius still faces state charges that could change that, as the El Paso County D.A. is seeking the death penalty. Texas charges include one count of capital murder of multiple persons and 22 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Crusius has pleaded not guilty in the state case.

It was Aug. 3, 2019 when Crusius, then 21, drove 10 hours from the Dallas suburb of Allen to the border city toting a version of an AK-47 assault rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammo. He had posted an online rant before the massacre saying his acts were “a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas.” Twenty-two people died that day, and another 23 were injured. A 23rd person died of his injuries months later.

With News Wire Services