Bryan and Lori Crusius, the parents of Patrick Crusius, one of two victims’ families to break their silence since early August when the tragic mass shooting occurred in El Paso, are both professional healers.
Bryan is a therapist, and Lori works as an admissions nurse for a hospice facility.
In a powerful statement released to express their sorrow and devastation, they revealed that they believe his actions were “apparently influenced and informed by people we do not know, and from ideas and beliefs we do not accept or condone.”
Nevertheless, Mr. and Mrs. Crusius highlighted that throughout Patrick’s upbringing, he was instilled with love, kindness, respect, and tolerance—all values that strongly oppose racism, prejudice, hatred, and violence.
The family of Patrick Crusius, the alleged shooter in the El Paso, Texas Walmart attack that left 22 dead and 24 injured, raised him with values of love, kindness, respect, and tolerance while rejecting any forms of racism, prejudice, violence, and hatred.
Crusius is facing charges of capital murder in Texas and is being investigated by the FBI for potential federal hate crimes under the designation of domestic terrorism.
The FBI is examining a manifesto titled “An Inconvenient Truth” posted on 8Chan just before the shooting, containing racist and anti-immigrant language.
Crusius was raised in the northern suburbs of Dallas, which has undergone significant demographic changes in recent years. The Hispanic population has increased, while the non-Hispanic white population has declined from 80% to just over 50%.
The area has become more diverse with the growth of diverse restaurants, stores, neighborhoods, and public schools.
His family released a statement expressing their devastation over the tragedy and asking for privacy. Meanwhile, prosecutors in Texas are seeking the death penalty for Crusius. He is being held without bond in El Paso.
He lived with his grandparents in the Dallas suburb of Allen, who released a statement expressing their shock and also requested privacy. He had moved out six weeks prior but was still living with them while attending community college.
Patrick Crusius’ dad
John Bryan Crusius is a registered professional therapist at Dallas Addiction Recovery Therapy, also known as Infused Being Therapy and Counseling.
His comprehensive treatment approach utilizes evidence-based methods, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, to help individuals overcome addiction and create lasting lifestyle changes.
He provides specialized treatment for various conditions, including alcoholism, chemical dependency, codependency, drug abuse, PTSD, shame reduction, and self-esteem building.
To further share his passion for helping people reach their recovery goals, John wrote the book Life Enthusiasm: A Path to Purpose Beyond Recovery.
This guidebook helps readers develop a sense of purpose and set new life directions beyond addiction recovery.
Patrick Crusius’ mother
A few weeks before the alleged mass shooting, the mother of Patrick Crusius, Lori Lynn Crusius, called the police expressing concerns about her son’s possession of an AK-47-style rifle.
However, according to the family’s attorneys, Chris and R. Jack Ayres, the mother’s reservations were not rooted in fear of violence or belief of any intent to harm but rather due to her son’s age, experience, and maturity level.
The attorneys stated that the conversation was purely informational and that there was no fear of violence or belief of an intent to do harm.
According to the mother, police informed her that it was legal for her son to purchase the weapon.
However, the conversation did not lead to further investigation as the mother declined to provide her or her son’s names, and the transaction appeared legal. It is unclear whether the weapon used in the attack was the one she mentioned in her call to the police.
Patrick Crusius had only had a few interactions with the Allen police, including a false burglar alarm at his family’s home, a minor traffic accident involving a bus he was on, and a third incident where he left the house and returned 30 minutes later.
After the incident
After the incident, law enforcement officers, including the FBI, went to the family’s house to gather evidence.
According to a local reporter, the family informed the police that they would call 911 if the media approached the house, and as a result, the police remained on the scene.
The El Paso Police requested the media to respect the family’s privacy during a press conference on Sunday morning.
