Author Yiyun Li Reflects on Loss After Tragic Deaths of Two Sons

Patrick Crusius, who fatally shot 23 people in a racially motivated attack at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, in 2019, pleaded guilty to capital murder on April 21, 2025. The plea deal allows him to avoid the death penalty, but he has already received 90 consecutive life sentences for federal hate crime charges. Crusius, 26, was criticized by state district Judge Sam Medrano for his actions, which he described as an attempt to instill fear and divide a community that instead became united in the face of tragedy.
The shooting occurred on August 3, 2019, when Crusius traveled over 700 miles from Dallas to El Paso, targeting Hispanic shoppers. His online postings prior to the attack expressed anti-immigrant sentiments, referring to the shooting as a response to what he called “the Hispanic invasion of Texas.”
Crusius's lawyer acknowledged the defendant's mental health struggles, stating he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. He is serving multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole, reflecting the severity of his crimes, which also included 22 counts of aggravated assault stemming from survivors of the attack.