The El Paso Massacre: One Year Later – How We Move Forward

Today marks the one-year anniversary following the Cielo Vista Walmart massacre in El Paso. August 3, 2019, is an unimaginable day for many El Pasoans as their community was directly targeted by a racist shooter.

“As a Mexican American in a community like El Paso, I know how obvious the answer seems. The shooter’s racist manifesto is well known; someone looking to murder brown people came to a brown city with hate in his heart.

“What spurred that hate is also clear. Politicians and pundits have trafficked in anti-Hispanic, anti-immigrant, anti-border rhetoric since long before I was born. A killer seething with single-minded animus sped past hundreds of off-ramps on a 650-mile drive across Texas to pull the trigger, but his journey was generations in the making.” – Speaker Pro Tempore Joe Moody

Democratic lawmaker, Joe Moody (D- El Paso), released a heartfelt op-ed this week discussing the feelings of grief and disbelief himself and many of the community still feel. Moody talked about the culture of El Paso, how that culture is misrepresented in many parts of the United States, the racist roots of our nation, and how El Paso can move forward. 

“What we’re experiencing now is intersectional: the shooting in El Paso, a surging coronavirus, racial strife in cities across America, the breakdown of policing as an institution, families struggling to make ends meet, and hyper-partisanship so complete it almost isn’t recognizable as politics. All of these are woven together into a singular moment on the threshold of a world guaranteed to be different than the one before it — just how being left for us to decide… Healing is action, and we can show the people who’ve used brown bodies as a political football that the fires of racism are a crucible that has forged a people ready to meet today’s intersection of challenges head-on. By confronting hate with love, El Paso can be the template for tomorrow, a new city upon a hill, a promise.” – Speaker Pro Tempore Joe Moody

Others echoed his sentiments. 

One year ago, El Paso and the nation were shocked and heartbroken by the horrific act of domestic terrorism fueled by racism and xenophobia that killed 23 beautiful souls, injured 22, and devasted all of us. pic.twitter.com/AkM3MefPKQ

— Rep. Veronica Escobar (@RepEscobar) August 3, 2020

One year ago 23 lives were cut short in El Paso—the deadliest attack against the Latinx community in recent American history. An attack fueled by the flames of hate and division.

Gun violence is a national emergency in our country. It must be treated as such. #ElPasoStrong

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 3, 2020

Last year our nation witnessed the deadliest attack on the Latinx community in history.

The El Paso massacre wasn’t random. It was a result of violent bigotry being fueled by those in power.

I’m hopeful that we will continue to reject hate and embrace compassion. #ElPasoStrong

— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) August 3, 2020

No matter what brought us to this tragedy, it is clear that El Paso will face this together, with arms full of love for each other and thankful hearts for those who have supported them this past year.

The massacre resulted in 23 deaths, dozens of injuries, and a lifetime of pain for many El Paso families. A non-profit organization, Community En Acción, established a scholarship fund for children who were affected by this tragedy. To learn more or donate, click here.