A Texas man pleaded not guilty to 90 federal hate crime prices on Wednesday after he was accused of intentionally focusing on individuals of Mexican heritage within the shooting rampage that killed 22 individuals at a Walmart retailer in El Paso final 12 months.
Patrick Crusius, 21, entered the not guilty plea in an arraignment waiver doc filed after his first look in federal courtroom in El Paso, Texas. An arraignment waiver means the defendant is conscious of the fees and is getting into an preliminary plea of not guilty.
Crusius faces a separate capital homicide trial in state courtroom on the Walmart shooting. He has pled not guilty to these prices.
On Wednesday, Crusius, in shackles and sporting a go well with, appeared earlier than Judge Miguel Torres and was knowledgeable of his rights. Crusius did not converse in the course of the listening to, speaking via his attorneys.
His court-appointed legal professionals within the federal trial, David Lane and Rebecca Hudsmith, declined to remark after the listening to.
Crusius was charged by the Justice Department final week with the hate crimes.
He is accused of driving 11 hours to El Paso from his hometown of Allen, close to Dallas, on Aug. three final 12 months, and firing at customers with an AK-47 rifle contained in the Walmart retailer. He surrendered to officers who confronted him exterior.
Crusius confessed whereas surrendering and advised police he was focusing on Mexicans, in accordance to a police affidavit launched days after the shooting. Most of these killed had been Latinos.
A manifesto that prosecutors say was posted on-line by Crusius on 8chan, a now-defunct message board typically utilized by extremists, stated the Walmart assault was “a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas.”
