() — Patrick Crusius, the shooter who killed 23 people at an El Paso Walmart in one of the deadliest attacks on Latinos in modern American history, was sentenced to 90 consecutive life terms by a federal judge Friday.
Crusius pleaded guilty in February to charges, including hate crimes, for the 2019 attack.
He faces a possible death penalty in another state case, in which he pleaded not guilty.
Since the sentencing hearing began on Wednesday, Crusius has faced dozens of relatives of the victims and survivors who have shared harrowing statements about what happened and the effects of the shooter’s actions.
Family members of some victims had tears in their eyes when they first confronted Crusius in court, accusing him of being an “ignorant coward,” an “evil parasite,” a “monster” and a “racist.”
Authorities say Crusius broke into the El Paso Walmart with the sole intent to kill Mexicans and immigrants. At least eight of those killed were Mexican citizens, according to Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard. Crusius is also believed to have posted a hate-filled rant online minutes before the shooting in which he espoused xenophobic and white supremacist beliefs.
Among the 36 people who went to Crusius between Wednesday and Thursday was a minor who survived the shooting. Wearing a T-shirt that read “El Paso Strong,” the girl struggled to speak between sobs as she described her terror and her pain.
“I used to be a normal, happy teenager, until a coward decided to use violence against the innocent,” she said. “I’m not as happy as before.”
A teenage soccer player identified in court as GA also recounted the horror of the shooting.
“I still remember everything so clearly even though I have tried to erase it from my memory,” said GA
The shooter had initially pleaded not guilty to the federal charges, but changed his plea in February after prosecutors indicated they would not seek the death penalty.
