See images of the moment a victim’s wife hugged the Walmart mass shooter
Update (5:20 PM): Here are pictures of the hug shared by Adriana Zandri and Patrick Crusius.
Zandri had asked the judge if she could hug Crusius. He agreed and Crusius stood up in court before the hug.
Update (4:34 PM): The impact statements have concluded. Below are images from inside of the courtroom. The images are courtesy of the El Paso Times.
Update (3:38 PM): Isabel Piedra, daughter of Rosa Barron, sister of another survivor, and niece of a victim, addressed Crusius through a DA Victim Advocate.
"We carry our grief, but we also carry our strength," Piedra stated. "We are still here, and so is our voice."
Raul Loya, son of Maribel Loya, then had a statement read by the Victim Advocate.
"The people who you murdered will be in our memories," Loya said. "They will be remembered forever." He concluded his statement, by telling Patrick Crusius that he would be forgotten.
Update (3:10 PM): "My mom did not put a gun to someone's head to get her jobs," Ruby Romero, daughter of Gloria Marquez, said. "You're a waste of a human being."
Romero went on to thank the El Paso community for their support through the years since the shooting.
Update (2:34 PM): The daughter of a survivor told Patrick Crusius that she would go out into the beautiful day after the hearing and enjoy her country, while Crusius sits for the rest of his life in prison.
Martha Santiesteban then took the stand.
"Are you listening Patrick? What did you accomplish?" Martha Santiesteban, daughter of Luis Juarez Sr. said. "You killed my dad, my 95-year-old father you son of a b****."
Santiesteban went on to express her anger at Crusius and happiness that his ideology had not won the day on August 3, 2019, and that El Paso had rebounded.
"F*** you Patrick Crusius, and f*** Donald J. Trump," Santiesteban said in conclusion.
Update (2:15 PM): The afternoon session started with several emotional statements. Many people who read their statements told Crusius that his hate has united El Paso and called him out on his White Supremacy.
Watch the victims and their families read their impact statements live below. The court has asked that the cameras not show the faces of those reading their statements in court. Only their voices will be livestreamed.
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- This is the second day of victim impact statements in the August 3rd Walmart Shooting trial. Patrick Crusius, the gunman of the Walmart shooting will return to court to continue listening to victims and family members of those lives lost on Aug. 3, 2019. He pleaded guilty in court yesterday and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The impact statements began yesterday afternoon with several emotional moments. The statements continued this morning. The morning ended with a powerful moment when Yolanda Tinajero, the sister of Arturo Benavides, asked permission to hug Crusius. An ABC-7 crew inside of the courtroom watched as Tinajero hugged the mass shooter.
Other victims balanced anger and forgiveness as they addressed Crusius. Hilda Reckard, Daughter-in-Law of Margie Reckard, told Crusius that the survivors and victims' families had saved his life by asking DA James Montoya to offer a plea agreement and not seek the death penalty. Many who spoke chose not to address Crusius, and instead spoke directly to victims' families to give their thoughts, prayers, and sympathy.
Over 100 victims and family members are attending this week's victim impact statements, which are expected to last through Wednesday — 49 people signed up to confront Crusius.
Judge Sam Medrano says they will be allowed to speak for as long as they like.
These are the people giving a statement today:
- Misty Jamrowski (Mother - Jordan Anchondo)
- Paul Jamrowski (Father - Jordan Anchondo)
- Leta Cuellar (Sister - Jordan Anchondo)
- Ashley Salazar (family - Jordan Anchondo [Victim Advocate reads])
- Raul Melendez (family - David Johnson)
- Stephanie Melendez (Daughter - David Johnson)
- Kaitlyn Melendez (Granddaughter - David Johnson)
- Francisco Rodriguez (Father - Javier Rodriguez)
- Dean Reckard (Son - Margie Reckard)
- Hilda Reckard (Daughter-in-Law - Margie Reckard)
- Guillermo Gonzalez (Son-in-law - Maribel Loya)
- Michelle Grady (Survivor)
- Melissa Tinajero (Niece - Arturo Benavides)
- Yolanda Tinajero (Sister - Arturo Benavides) Victim Impact Statements
- Luis Alfonso Juarez Jr. (Son - Luis Juarez Sr.)
- Margaret Ann Juarez (Daughter - Luis Juarez Sr.)
- Martha Santiesteban (Daughter - Luis Juarez Sr.)
- Raul Loya (Son - Maribel Loya)
- Joanna Rodriguez (Sister - Javier Rodriguez)
- Isabel Piedra (Daughter - Rosa Barron)
- Job Valentin Luna (Son - Gloria Marquez)
- Ruby Romero (Daughter - Gloria Marquez)
- Ana Maria Gonzalez (Survivor)
- Angela Hubbard (Survivor)
