Wednesday, August 14, 2024

A City in Tears - August 3rd, 2019

Saturday, August 3rd, 2019, was a normal day for many, for some, a regular workday, for others, a shopping task, and for a handful, a day to go look around and relax.  More than likely, none of them had any idea of the surreal events that were about to occur.  Outside the Walmart-Cielo Vista area, as cars were browsing for a spot to park, one particular vehicle pulled up into the parking lot.  One man stepped out of it, not to shop, neither to look, but to self-lead a rampage of deadly bullets targeting Mexicans. He aimed his rifle at shoppers, employees, and/or passersby.  

Ruled as an "act of domestic terror", the gunman, Patrick Wood Crusius, first drove through town for about an hour, stopped at a pizzeria, then arrived at Walmart to end up shooting and killing 23 people and injuring 22 others. As a result, the "El Paso Strong" campaign was born in our city, merely to embrace a robust sense of unity, strength, and resilience. August 3, 2024, marks the five-year anniversary of the August 3rd tragedy, and to commemorate it, a new memorial,a set of seven angled pillars that silently "speak" the names of the 23 victims,was unveiled at the El Paso Eastside Walmart where the shooting happened.  

Below are a few excerpts of images and articles from the El Paso Times' telling the story.  


Retrieved from El Paso Times, August 12, 2019
Retrieved from El Paso Times, August 13, 2024


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Rosa Guerrero

Rosa Ramirez Guerrero  (born November 14, 1934) was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. She is an artist, educator...