Patrick Crusius, the man who killed 23 people in a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, in 2019, is set to avoid the death penalty after accepting a plea deal in state court. Crusius, who is now 26 years old, was already sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences in federal court in 2023.
His crimes, classified as hate crimes and gun violations, shocked the nation. Now, with a plea agreement in the state case, Crusius will serve life in prison without parole, and the death penalty will not be pursued.
Why the Death Penalty Was Taken Off the Table
The decision to offer a plea deal came from El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya, who made the offer in March 2025. Crusius is expected to formally accept the plea on Monday, April 21.
Federal prosecutors under the Biden administration had earlier removed the death penalty from consideration. However, the reason for that decision was never made public, according to CNN.
Despite offering the deal, DA Montoya has said he personally believes Crusius deserves the death penalty. Still, after meeting with the families of the victims, most of them expressed that they preferred to end the case quickly rather than face years of lengthy appeals and court proceedings.
“The vast majority of them want this case over and done with as quickly as possible,” Montoya stated.
If the death penalty had been pursued, Montoya estimated that the case might not go to trial until 2028.
Governor Greg Abbott Responds
The plea deal has stirred strong reactions. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he believes capital punishment is appropriate in such horrific cases.
“I’ve heard about it. I think the guy does deserve the death penalty, to be honest,” Abbott told reporters. “Any shooting like that is what capital punishment is for.”
The 2019 Massacre: What Happened
On August 3, 2019, Patrick Crusius, then 21 years old, drove over 10 hours from his home in Dallas to carry out the attack. Wearing earmuffs, he walked into the El Paso Walmart on Gateway West Boulevard with an AK-style rifle and opened fire.
Crusius shot people inside and outside the store. One of his victims was an elderly man in a car, and the man’s wife was injured. In total, 23 innocent lives were lost.
Shortly after the attack, Crusius was arrested at a nearby intersection. He admitted to the shooting and told officers he acted in response to what he called a “Hispanic invasion of Texas”, a statement he had also shared in an online manifesto before the attack.
His Sentence and Restitution
In federal court in 2023, Crusius pleaded guilty to 90 federal charges, half of which were hate crimes. He was sentenced to 90 life terms and ordered to pay over $5 million in restitution to the families of his victims.
Now, under the state-level plea deal, he will avoid execution and continue to serve life sentences without the possibility of parole.