EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – The government of Mexico on Friday honored the memory of the Aug. 3, 2019, El Paso Walmart shooting victims with a flower offering, a reading of their names and a pledge to their relatives not to forget them.
“I think there is still a lot of emotion that will never go away. These are difficult times around the 3rd of August every year,” said Maurico Ibarra Ponce de Leon, Mexico’s consul general in El Paso.
The shooting left 23 people dead, including nine Mexican citizens, and 22 injured by gunfire. North Texas resident Patrick Crusius admitted to driving 10 hours to El Paso to kill Mexicans. He posted an online manifesto denouncing the “Hispanic invasion of Texas.” He is serving consecutive life sentences for the crime.
Ibarra said the consulate encourages community members to be on the lookout for “racist and xenophobic” speech that may lead to another tragedy.
“I think this was an event that left a big scar in this binational community. We need to be aware and keep remembering the people who died and not let that happen again,” he said. “We need to be aware of the situation and keep fighting this hate speech.”
The consulate built a monument outside its building on East San Antonio Street in Downtown El Paso to remember the victims. It consists of a black marble stand with an open book-styled bronze plaque with 23 names.
Several black-clad relatives and friends of the victims attended Friday morning’s ceremony but declined to talk with the press.
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