The dust around the Walmart shooting in El Paso, Texas has started to settle, and some bizarre elements have surfaced regarding the mass murderer Patrick Crusius.
The revelations drew even more attention to the case of the shooter, as some are now speculating that his disturbed childhood could have contributed to his decision to commit the horrific and unforgivable act.
The father of the shooter, Bryan Crusius, 63, has admitted to being a drug addict for nearly 40 years and has converted to an “energy healer,” claiming to have seen Jesus and had an encounter with his dead grandmother, Mabel.
The therapist, who wrote a book called Life Enthusiasm: A Path to Purpose Beyond Recovery, admits that Patrick Crusius, his twin sister Emily Crusius; and their older brother, Blake Crusius, had to grow up in a broken situation.
Bryan Crusius also spoke about his first marriage that was eventually broken up by alcohol and drug abuse and his battle with mental health issues.
He confessed in the book: “I lived a life of pretense in a kind of dream, alternating between the lows of apathy and hopelessness and the highs of material success. I have quit and relapsed countless times.”
In the 2014 memoir, he spoke about his addiction to hallucinogens benzodiazepines and Vicodin: “I was always the one daring everyone else to go over the top in the partying category by taking the extreme amounts of whatever we had, whether Quaaludes, alcohol, magic mushrooms or something else.”
Bryan Crusius also spoke about the day he was driving to work and got a call from his teen daughter Emily Crusius, who explained their mother, Lori, left home: “It was my daughter wanting to know when I would be home because she needed a ride to a friend’s house. I asked, “Where’s your mom? Can she take you?” An uncomfortable silence filled the air, and finally, she replied. “She left this morning for Oklahoma.” ‘“What?” I said, feeling quite surprised. She had not told me of any trip or advised me that she was leaving. What was shocking on the surface was to realize that my spouse had taken off without leaving an adult in charge.”
The news about the wife leaving him prompted him to drive to a store and try to steal a computer hard drive.
After reading the book, some have suggested that the killer may have had a twisted view of the world because of his father’s actions.
However, that still does not explain the far-right tendencies that he described in the 2,300-word racist “manifesto” and other aspects of his crime, which are puzzling to all observers.
The incident marked a very grim moment in US history, as multiple mass shootings took place in a short period of time across the country, shocking the nation and making many fear for their lives.
This comes not long after another “trend” of frequent school shootings, which has finally appeared to slow down.
Some are hoping the recent events will push politicians to take measures related to mental health and pass gun laws that will protect lives.
