[ad_1]
A 21-year-old man from Texas, accused of murdering more than 20 people at a Walmart store in El Paso last month, was charged with murder on Thursday, prosecutors said.
El Paso prosecutors are demanding the death penalty for Patrick Crusius, who is still jailed without bail in the August 3 shooting, which left 22 dead and 24 wounded. Federal prosecutors said they were charging hate crimes against the suspect, who could also face the death penalty.
The El Paso County Clerk's Office has stated that Crusius' indictment would not be available to the public until next week, as it will take a few days to process it and entrust it to the public. Case in court.
Crusius' family issued a statement through his lawyer: "It is important to respect the rule of law, including the grand jury and the prosecutor's office," the statement said. "There is a legal path that will allow justice to become clear."
EL PASO & # 39; HERO & # 39; STOPPED BY SECRET SERVICE BEFORE MEETING A TRUTH IN WHITE HOUSE: REPORT
Crusius' lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday. Lawyer Mark Stevens had previously stated that he would use "all available legal tools" to prevent his client's execution.
Crusius led the shooting more than 10 hours from his hometown of Allen, near Dallas, police said. The victims were between 15 and 90 years old. Eight of them were Mexican nationals.
Prosecutors said that Crusius had surrendered to the police after the attack saying "I am the shooter" and that he was targeting the Mexicans. In court documents, prosecutors alleged that Crusius was the author of a racist screed issued shortly before the shooting, claiming that it was "in response to the Hispanic invasion of the United States." Texas". Most of the victims of the attack had Hispanic surnames.
The El Paso Massacre is the first in a series of massive shootings last month that has killed dozens and reopened the debate over gun control in the United States.
Less than 24 hours after the El Paso massacre, a masked gunman began shooting in a nightclub in Dayton, Ohio, killing nine people and injuring 27 others. A few weeks later, a man killed seven people and injured about two dozen while he was shooting with a car in the towns of Midland and Odessa, in western Texas. The gunmen in both attacks were killed by the police.
Recent violence has fueled the anger of gun control and immigration advocates and has led to a backlash in politics.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Texas Governor Greg Abbott acknowledged several weeks after the attack that "mistakes had been made" when he had sent a fundraising mailing encouraging supporters to "take things in hand" and to "defend" in Texas. Abbott pledged to invest in a national terrorism task force and suggested supporting the extension of gun control. But he resisted calls to regulate the sale of military-style rifles, such as the one authorities say they used Crusius in El Paso.
Texas Governor Dan Patrick angered the NRA last week after expressing support for the background check.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link