Patrick Crusius, the man who performed a domestic terrorist attack at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart, which targeted Hispanics, has been charged with federal hate crimes.
A Texas federal court filed an indictment on Thursday, which stated that the 22-year-old white supremacist was charged with 90 counts under federal hate crime and firearms laws for his role in the August 3, 2019 shooting. According to The Hill, Crusius is charged with a total of 22 counts of hate crimes resulting in death, 23 hate crimes involving attempted murder, and 45 counts of discharging a firearm in connection to the hate crimes.
The murdered victims include a young couple with a newborn and a teenage boy. One of the wounded victims was a man helping his daughter raise money for her soccer team’s tournament. The indictment included other details about the shooter, including the shooter’s write up of his intent to commit the attack, which was written before his 12-hour drive from Allen, Texas. The document was titled “the inconvenient truth” and consisted of racist language and Crusius’ belief of a “Hispanic invasion of Texas.”
Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband said the hate crime charge is important because it directly shows the “violent crime was both an attack against specific victims and also an attack against a particular population.” If convicted, Crusius will face life in prison or the death penalty. Attorney General Bill Barr will be in charge of Crusius’ sentencing.
“Here in El Paso, we will seek justice for the victims, and we will prosecute the Defendant to the full extent of the law,” Barr said. “We stand committed to enforcing the hate crimes laws everywhere within our jurisdiction. We remain devoted to protecting the unalienable rights of all people throughout our great Nation, including especially those of the victims of this crime, their friends and families, and this community,” Barr continued.
