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22 in El Paso this week. Nearly 40,000 in our country each year. The numbers are heartbreaking, but they don't capture the tragedy of each & every one of those deaths. That’s why I am sharing the stories of all those who lost their lives in El Paso this weekend.
Jordan Anchondo. 24 years-old. She went to Walmart to buy school supplies—and decorations for her daughter’s 6th birthday party. When the gunman entered, she shielded her 2-month-old son. Jordan didn’t make it, but her son did.
Andre Anchondo. Jordan’s husband. 23 years-old. They married last year. He’d just finished building their family a home. Saturday was going to be the first time family & friends would see it. But he, too, was killed—while shielding his wife, who was shielding their son.
Javier Rodríguez. 15. I’ll say it again: 15 years-old. A student ready to start his sophomore year, a soccer player ready to start another season. His whole life ahead of him. His sister says she “lost my everything, my best friend.”
His classmates organized a vigil for him. No student should ever have to do that. I met two of them while in line to donate blood, and they invited me out. Seeing the entire school community come out to that football field gave me hope. This generation will end this epidemic.
Arturo Benavides. 60 years-old. An Army veteran and a bus driver—he spent his life serving our community and our country. His wife was with him in Walmart. She made it out. He did not.
David Johnson. 63 years-old. When hatred entered Walmart on Saturday morning, David responded by protecting his wife and his 9 year-old granddaughter. He passed away, but they survived.
Jorge Calvillo García. At 61 years-old, Jorge passed away this weekend while protecting his granddaughter. He was from Torreón, Mexico. His son, Luis Calvillo, was shot as well. They were outside of Walmart on Saturday, raising funds for EP Fusion, a local girls' soccer team.
María Eugenia Legarreta Rothe. 58 years-old. María is from Chihuahua, Mexico—and was only here so she could be at the El Paso airport when her daughter arrived.
Teresa Sanchez. At 82 years-old, Teresa bore the brunt of evil on Saturday. She was from Mexico as well.
Luis Alfonzo Juárez. 90 years-old. His wife, who he’d been married to for almost 70 years, was also a victim of Saturday’s shooting. He didn’t make it—but thankfully, she did. I was able to meet their family at the hospital, and they're showing this community's strength.
Gloria Irma Márquez. A mother of four and a grandmother, Gloria was from Juárez—part of our binational community. She lost her life at 61 years-old because our country failed to protect her.
Iván Manzano. Like Gloria, Iván was from Juárez, where so many of our neighbors live. He was 46 years-old when he lost his life in our country.
Elsa Mendoza Márquez. 57 years-old. Elsa lived across the border in Juárez, where she was a teacher. When she ran into Walmart to buy supplies for her students in Juárez, her husband and son waited outside in the car. They survived the shooting. Tragically, she did not.
Sara Esther Regalado. 66 years-old. Adolfo Cerros Hernández. 68 years-old. They, too, were from Mexico—and are remembered as being loving parents. “I don’t know how long it will take for my soul to heal,” their daughter wrote.
Alexander Gerhard Hoffman. Alexander also wasn’t from the United States. He was from Germany—but he lost his life visiting our country at 66-year-old.
Maria Flores and Raúl Flores. The couple went to Walmart on Saturday morning and never came home. They were 77 years-old. Both of them.
Angie Silva Englisbee. 86 years-old. This wasn’t the first time Angie experienced tragedy. Her husband died at 38 years-old, leaving her to raise seven kids by herself. Her grandson called her “the hero of our family.” She, too, was killed.
Leo Campos. 41 years-old. Maribel Hernandez. 56 years-old. They went to Walmart after leaving their dog to be groomed. When Maribel’s brother heard they never came to pick him up, he feared the worst. Soon, it was confirmed: Leo and Maribel had both lost their lives.
Margie Reckard. 63 years-old. “I’m like a puppy run away from its momma,” said Antonio Basco, her husband of 22 years. “But my wife, she’d say, ‘Get up off your rear end.'” He continued: “I know she’s looking down and she’s smiling.”
Juan de Dios Velázquez Chairez. Juan and his wife, Nicholasa, shopped together every week. Juan was from Zacatecas, Mexico, but had lived in our city for two years. Nicholasa was injured in the shooting. Juan lost his life at 77 years-old.
Thank you to @ElPasoTimes, @ABC7Breaking, @KTSMTV, @BuzzFeed, @WashingtonPost, and so many other news organizations for doing the important work of bringing a human face to all those who lost their lives this weekend.
@elpasotimes @abc7breaking @KTSMtv @BuzzFeed @washingtonpost 22 esta semana en El Paso. Casi 40,000 cada año en todo el país. Los números son desgarradores, pero no capturan la tragedia de cada una de estas pérdidas. Por eso estoy compartiendo las historias de todos los que perdimos. Conozca sus historias aquí: medium.com/@BetoORourke/l…
@elpasotimes @abc7breaking @KTSMtv @BuzzFeed @washingtonpost This is who we lost on Saturday. Many more are injured. These are the human beings who will never be with us again. And there are so many people like them, who die because of gun violence every year. We have the power to end this crisis. And we don’t have time to wait.
