Patrick Crusius pleaded guilty on Wednesday to multiple federal charges for the 2019 shooting at a supermarket in El Paso, Texas, that killed 23 and injured 22, including eight Mexicans.
Crusius, 24, claimed responsibility after the US Justice Department decided not to seek the death penalty for the attack. qualifies as domestic terrorism and a hate crime.
The federal courthouse where Crusius, dressed in a blue prison uniform, handcuffed and chained around the waist, pleaded guilty, was packed with victims’ families and dozens of people affected by the shooting.
At least another 200 people were barred from entering the courthouse presided over by federal judge David C. Guaderrama. They saw the audience in a converted room where the hearing was televised, the El Paso Times reported.
Despite today’s testimony, the young man will still have to answer to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, where he could face the death penalty.
The guilty plea comes on the day the trial was due to begin. litigate in federal proceedings.
The attack occurred on August 3, 2019 at a Walmart store in El Paso that I frequent. Mexican shoppers and frontiersmen entered, representing the first massacre reportedly targeting the Hispanic community in the United States.
The suspect confessed to police when he was arrested. His goal was to kill “Mexicans”. and admitted that he was the one who opened fire on the crowd, according to investigative documents.
Crusius drove nearly 10 hours from Allen, where he lived, to carry out the massacre and reportedly posted a manifesto online claiming the attack was a “response to the Spanish invasion of Texas.”
The young man started the attack in the parking lot and then entered the store. where he continued firing a military-style AK-47 rifle.
Through his attorneys, Crusius later pleaded not guilty in state and federal courts.
In addition to the 23 deaths, 22 people were injured and injured, dozens more were scratched and bruised as they fled the store.
A state judge decided in October last year to postpone the start of the trial until the federal public prosecutor’s office, among others, investigated.
(With information from EFE)
Source: La Neta Neta
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
