El Paso DA says trial not yet set for accused Walmart shooter, death penalty still sought

EL PASO, Texas -- El Paso District Attorney Yvonne Rosales held a very brief news conference to deliver a statement on Thursday afternoon as the second anniversary of the Aug. 3 mass shooting approaches.

She said a trial date has not yet been set for Patrick Crusius, accused of shooting and killing 23 people at the Cielo Vista Walmart in 2019.

As ABC-7 reported earlier this week, the court system is currently dealing with a heavy backlog in criminal jury trials due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, Crusius' lawyers and the D.A.'s Office recently agreed that they needed more time to prepare before setting a trial date.

Rosales said her office still planned to seek the death penalty against Crusius, who pleaded 'not guilty' late last year to the charges against him.

The District Attorney declined to take questions or grant media interviews about the case.