Patrick Crusius, the man accused in the August 3, 2019 shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, has been indicted on federal hate crime and firearms charges, according to the Department of Justice.
A federal grand jury indictment filed Thursday charges the 21 year old with 90 counts in total. Per reporting from The Hill, that includes 22 counts of hate crimes resulting in death, 23 counts of hate crimes involving attempted murder, and 45 counts of using a firearm in connection with a crime of violence. Prosecutors say the shooting targeted Hispanic people. The indictment is an accusation, and Crusius has not been convicted of these federal charges.
According to the indictment, the shooter drove roughly 10 hours from the Dallas area to El Paso before the attack. Prosecutors say he posted a written statement online shortly before the shooting that railed against what he called a Hispanic invasion of Texas. The charging documents describe the shooting as an attack on specific victims and on a particular community.
Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband said the hate crime charges matter because they show the violence was both an attack on individual victims and an attack on a particular population. If convicted, Crusius could face life in prison or the death penalty, and the Justice Department has said the decision on whether to seek death will be made later.
Attorney General William Barr said federal prosecutors will pursue the case to the full extent of the law, and that the department is committed to enforcing hate crime laws and protecting the rights of all people. He also said the charges are meant to honor the victims, their families and the El Paso community.
Crusius also faces state capital murder charges in Texas. Baller Alert will keep following the case as it moves through the courts.
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