El Paso gunman in racist Walmart attack faces emotional victim impact statements

The federal sentencing hearing is underway for the gunman who killed 23 people at an El Paso Walmart in 2019. 24-year-old Patrick Crusius pleaded guilty this year to 90 charges – half of them classified as federal hate crimes. Most of his victims were Hispanic.

The emotional testimony from family members started this morning and could go on for days.  Crusius reserved the right not to address the courtroom until victim impact statements were read. Those statements were powerful as families spoke about how the past four years have been since the mass shooting.

On August 3, 2019, Crusius left his home in Allen Texas, drove some eleven hours to El Paso, walked into a Walmart, and opened fire, killing 23 people and injuring 23 others.

The FBI investigated the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime. Shortly before the shooting, Crusius posted a manifesto online and self-identified as a white nationalist. Sentencing for the killings will take place the morning after families complete victim impact statements, or on the following Monday if statements end on a Friday.

The father of one victim spoke to reporters outside of the courtroom about finding the strength to face his son’s killer.

“Of course, prayer. Prayer before you come in here to give you the strength and wisdom and endurance to just sit through and be in the same courtroom with the person who killed your family member,” said the father of Jordan Anchondo, Paul Jamrowski. “I mean you sit there, and you think, ‘Man if you didn’t do what you did, I would have my child to hold and hug right now.’”

Crusius had originally pleaded not guilty to the charges but changed his plea earlier this year after prosecutors indicated they would not seek the death penalty. Crusius still faces charges from state prosecutors who have said they plan to seek the death penalty. He has pleaded not guilty to a state capital murder charge, but a trial has yet to be scheduled.