• Patrick Crusius pleads guilty to capital murder in a racially motivated attack at an El Paso Walmart.
• The shooting left 23 people dead and 22 injured, becoming one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.
• Crusius received a life sentence without parole, as prosecutors opted not to pursue the death penalty.

The gunman, Patrick Crusius, who killed 23 people in a racist attack at a Texas Walmart in 2019, pleaded guilty to capital murder and will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The guilty plea, announced in a state court, follows a decision by prosecutors to drop the death penalty after a majority of victims' relatives expressed a desire for closure, according to Indiatimes, NYT, and Reuters.

Judge Sam Medrano addressed Crusius, stating that his mission of inflicting terror had "failed," reinforcing the community's resilience and unity in the face of hatred. "You brought not peace but hate," the judge remarked, echoing the sentiments shared by many victims' families in court, as reported by CBS News and LA Times.

At the sentencing, families of the victims delivered emotional statements that expressed their pain and devastation. A father of one of the victims conveyed that Crusius had taken a loved one who taught valuable life lessons, while others recounted the lasting impact of the attack on their lives, both physically and emotionally. As noted in statements collected by HuffPost, survivors and families described how they found strength in unity following the tragedy.

Crusius was previously sentenced to 90 consecutive life terms at the federal level for hate crimes and weapon-related charges, and his actions have been linked to extremist ideologies. He has reportedly suffered from serious mental health issues, including schizoaffective disorder, which his attorneys argued may have influenced his actions, according to NYT and LA Times.