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Walmart marking anniversary of massacre by remembering victims


Families of victims in the El Paso Walmart shooting visit 'Grand Candela' at store on Monday, August 3, 2020. (Credit: KFOX14/CBS4)
Families of victims in the El Paso Walmart shooting visit 'Grand Candela' at store on Monday, August 3, 2020. (Credit: KFOX14/CBS4)
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The community is reflecting Monday, on the tragedy that hit August 3, 2019 at an east El Paso Walmart.

All weekend-long, events to commemorate the victims were planned.

On Monday, one of the busiest Walmarts is closed so the families of the victims can pay their respects at the "Grand Candela," a 30-foot golden memorial in the parking lot.

A moment of silence at 10:39 a.m. was taken at the store's memorial.

On August 3, 2019 at 10:39 a.m. a gunman began shooting at a crowded store.

Border Network for Human Rights, an immigration advocacy group, gathered behind the Walmart where a makeshift memorial once was.

Authorities have said the gunman traveled from his home near Dallas to target Latinos in the Texas border city on Aug. 3, 2019.

Behind the Walmart, 23 white doves were released and matachines performed.

Bishop Mark Seitz provided a prayer. Crosses carried by event organizers each had the names of the people killed.

Events to mark the anniversary of the shooting have been happening throughout El Paso since last week.

The store will reopen to the public at noon.

“You can ask any El Pasoan we don’t see race we see all people all the time and racism is very strange to us it actually took someone out of town to come and disturb our city,” Tito Anchondo said. His brother, Andre Anchondo, died alongside his wife, Jordan Anchondo in August 3. They leave behind a 1 year old baby named Paul.

“I always tried to keep all those memories alive of what happened how it happened to cope with it,” Gilbert Anchondo, Andre’s father, said.

They both say that the way the community responded has helped the families of the victims cope. They say the solidarity shows how beautiful El Paso is.

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