Remembering the El Paso massacre that targeted Latinos

Pastor Michael Grady was in a shop on a Saturday morning two years ago when he received a call from his wife. She learned that her daughter was lying in a pool of blood at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas after she was shot three times.

When Grady arrived to see his daughter Michelle Grady, then 33, they had to lift her body outside with a shopping cart and fight other wounded victims to get her to an ambulance.

“I prayed for the Lord to save your life, and he did,” he said.

Authorities say a Texas man drove 700 miles from suburban Dallas to El Paso on August 3, 2019 and opened fire with an automatic rifle, killing 23 people, including a man who died nine months later Consequences of his injuries died. and injured about two dozen others. Law enforcement officials said the suspect, who was charged with telling authorities that he had targeted Latinos, made a written complaint against immigrants and Hispanic Americans. The attack is considered to be the deadliest against Hispanics in modern US history.

Grady, who advocates gun control laws and reform of immigration borders, stood alongside members of the nonprofit Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR), survivors of the massacre and elected officials at one of Tuesday’s events to commemorate the victims. They call for action to “take a stand against white supremacy, racism and xenophobia,” the group said in a statement.

BNHR executive director Fernando García criticized state officials for failing to focus and discuss the causes of the attack.

“Because of this anti-immigrant rhetoric of white supremacy, this person came to El Paso from Dallas to essentially kill Mexicans,” García said.

Suspect Patrick Crusius remains in prison awaiting a trial. Prosecutors have charged him with murder and are pursuing the death penalty; The federal prosecutor’s office has brought charges of hate crime and firearms.

Not prepared for the “madness of racism”

Grady’s daughter, who has undergone 22 surgeries and walking on a cane, is still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma. Grady said his daughter is taking it day at a time and is even working on a documentary about her experience.

“We weren’t prepared emotionally,” said Grady. “The city was not prepared for it and had never dealt with this racism-based madness.”

In a meeting with Latino leaders at the White House, President Joe Biden marked the grim day remembering the victims and calling for the wounded to be remembered that day and calling for the victims’ mental health to be considered and to take care of their families.

He denounced the “scourge of gun violence” and “domestic terrorism” and said although he may not be able to end it, he would now use his power to change his influence on the country. An opinion piece by Biden and First Lady Jill Biden was published in the El Paso Times.

“The deadliest terrorist threat to our homeland in recent years has been domestic terrorism – domestic terrorism rooted in white supremacy. We have to stand united against this violence because it simply spills over into all communities, ”said Biden.

Other events on Tuesday included the unveiling of the El Paso County Healing Garden along with plans for the illuminated star to flash 23 times in the Franklin Mountains. City council members planned to read the names of each victim and take turns ringing the city’s memorial bell.

The League of United Latin American Citizens, the country’s largest and oldest Hispanic membership organization, held a minute’s silence to replay how social media “fueled the disinformation and hatred that led to the massacre” impede.

BNHR’s García said that “not much has changed” in curbing rhetoric, referring to recent tough policies by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, including an executive order restricting the transportation of undocumented immigrants – most of whom from Latin America – say they can spread Covid-19.

The Justice Department has sued Texas, saying the order would seriously disrupt federal immigration operations.

At the same time, Abbott has banned local governments and state agencies from requiring masks and vaccinations.

Ms. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, attended Tuesday to honor those affected by the attack and stressed the importance of seeing what was going on that day and what “threats” remain. The congresswoman called on former President Donald Trump for “allowing hate speech to fuel violence”. She also condemned Abbott for upholding “domestic terrorism fueled by white nationalism.”

“There will be blood on your hands if you continue with this hateful, xenophobic, racist rhetoric and politics that put people at risk,” she said on Facebook Live of the event. “People like Greg Abbot are our greatest threat to national security.”

Speaking to MSNBC on Sunday, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, said that by appealing to its political base on migrants, Abbott is “putting a target on the backs of brown-skinned immigrants.”

The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The BNHR memorial event took place in Ponder Park in front of Walmart, where flowers had previously been placed in honor of the victims. These included statements from victims, including a woman who was on her first day at work and an activist who helped the injured.

The memorial was a welcome change from last year when the coronavirus pandemic – before vaccines – restricted the way families and people could come together. In-person and virtual events were planned to mourn the first anniversary of the massacre, but victims were unable to hug and gather after mass shootings as they have in the past due to social distancing restrictions.

Tito Anchondo has seemed “surreal” for the past few years after losing his brother and sister-in-law Andre Pablo Anchondo and Jordan Anchondo to a heart attack with his father last February. The couple’s baby survived the attack after being shielded by its mother.

As another anniversary passed, Tito Anchondo told USA TODAY that he still feels the pain of losing loved ones.

“I even think that it will get worse over time, because then you can see the little things that you know when you have a conversation, like wanting to call my brother or my father,” said Anchondo. “But I can’t, it doesn’t even seem real. But it’s real. “

Grady said Tuesday’s memorial was an opportunity to both commemorate the lives lost and to address the systemic issues behind the massacre and remind people of the importance of the fight for human rights – rather than “de-escalating” the tragedy.

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