The federal government said on Tuesday it will not seek the death penalty against a man accused of killing nearly two dozen people in a racist attack at a Walmart in El Paso in 2019.
The U.S. Justice Department announced its decision not to pursue the death penalty against Patrick Crusius in a one-sentence notice filed Tuesday in federal court in El Paso.
FILE: Patrick Crusius, suspect in the El Paso Walmart shooting, pleads not guilty at his October 10, 2019 arraignment in El Paso, Texas.
(Briana Sanchez/El Paso Times via TBEN, pool, file)
“The United States of America hereby notifies the Court and Defendant Patrick Wood Crusius that the Government will not seek the death penalty in this case,” the filing read.
Crusius, now 24, is accused of targeting Mexicans in the mass shooting that left dozens injured and 23 killed. The Dallas-area resident faces charges of federal hate crimes and gun violations, as well as capital murder in state court, and has pleaded not guilty.
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Federal prosecutors did not explain in their lawsuit why they will not seek the death penalty for Crusius, though he could still face execution if convicted in state court.
TBEN News Digital has reached out to Cruisus’ lawyers for comment. His case will be tried in federal court in January 2024.
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While the federal and state cases run parallel, it is now unclear when Crusius will face trial on state charges.
The The Bharat Express News contributed to this report.
