Story at a glance
- Patrick Crusius reportedly told authorities he targeted Mexicans when he opened fire inside the store in August.
- Eight Mexican nationals were among the victims of the attack.
- The shooter is said to have wanted to scare Hispanics into leaving the U.S.
The man accused of carrying out a mass shooting last summer that left 22 people dead and dozens injured at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, is being charged with federal hate crimes, according to the Associated Press.
Patrick Crusius, 21, who is already facing capital murder charges in state court, will reportedly be hit with federal charges, a source familiar with the case told the AP Thursday. A federal indictment against Crusius is expected to be unsealed today.
Crusius reportedly told authorities he targeted Mexicans when he began firing an AK-47 assault rifle inside the Walmart on Aug. 3. The AP reports a manifesto attributed to Crusius said the attack was aimed at scaring Hispanics into leaving the United States. Court documents allege Crusius published a screed online shortly before the shooting saying it was “in response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas.”
Eight Mexican nationals were among the victims of the attack. The store is popular with shoppers who live across the border from El Paso, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
The 21-year-old pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned on capital murder charges in October. He is facing the death penalty.
Authorities say Crusius drove more than 10 hours from his grandparents’ home in Dallas to El Paso to carry out the attack.
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