El Paso Walmart shooter to plead guilty to 2019 racist massacre

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Patrick Crusius will plead guilty to shooting and killing 23 people at an El Paso Walmart in August 2019, according to a new court filing.

Crusius asked the court for a realignment hearing after federal prosecutors agreed to take the death sentence off the table.

“The defendant advises the Court that he intends to plead guilty to the pending indictment,” the filing reads.

Federal prosecutors are investigating the shooting as a domestic terrorism and hate crime because Crusius allegedly targeted Hispanics.

He reportedly told investigators he chose the store near the US-Mexico border because it was frequented by Hispanic shoppers.

Crusius was charged with 90 counts by federal prosecutors in 2019, including 22 counts of hate crimes resulting in death, 22 counts of using a firearm to commit murder, 23 counts of hate crime charge involving attempted murder and 23 counts of using a firearm in a crime. While 22 people died on the day of the shooting or in the following two days, a 23rd person died eight months later.

There were also 23 people injured in the attack.

Crusius, 21, allegedly hid the unarmed Walmart before returning with protective earmuffs, safety glasses and an AR-15 type assault rifle. He opened fire indiscriminately before even entering the store.

Investigators believe Crusius posted a four-page racist and anti-immigrant document on the 8chan website before launching the attack, officials said.

ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson and Luke Barr contributed to this report.

Copyright 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures.

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