The current state of the death penalty in the US
Though seven executions in five states are scheduled for this month, Texas is likely the only state that will actually carry them out.
LEARN MOREPosted: 9:19 a.m. EDT Jul 7, 2023
The gunman behind one of the worst mass shootings in the U.S. has received 90 consecutive life sentences for the crime.
Patrick Crusius was formally sentenced Friday. Authorities said he drove more than 700 miles to carry out the attack targeting Hispanics at an El Paso Walmart in 2019.
The 24-year-old learned he will spend the rest of his life in federal prison for the racist attack that left 23 people dead and more than two dozen others injured.
Crusius also still faces charges in a separate case in Texas court that could carry the death penalty. That case has yet to go to trial.
Security footage from the 2019 attack shows Crusius walking into the El Paso Walmart and opening fire with an AK-47-style semi-automatic rifle. Prior to the attack, he warned online of a "Hispanic invasion of Texas," and pushed conspiracy theories about Hispanics planning to seize the U.S. government and economy.
Crusius pleaded guilty earlier this year to dozens of federal hate crime charges after prosecutors decided not to pursue the death penalty as part of a plea agreement.
Earlier this week, families of the victims were able to confront him in court for the first time. One by one they described the grief they've held since the massacre, chastising him for days about his racist motivations.
The attack was the seventh-deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, according to a tally by Axios. Those killed ranged in age from 15 to 90 years old.
