El Paso, Texas has always been known as one of the safest cities in the United States. Until Saturday morning, August 3, 2019. The community of El Paso will never be the same, shaken by the events that unfolded in those hours had been nothing anyone from the city of El Paso would have ever imagined that would happen.
"It was definitely not something anyone from this city would expect to happen, and the person wasn't even from here; no one from our community would do something like that," said Aria Dueñas.
The shooter's name was Patrick Crusius, but that should not be the name that we remember this horrific event by. Moreover, we should remember those who lost their lives on Saturday morning. Eight Mexican nationals, including Sara Esther Regalado, Adolfo Cerros Hernandez, Jorge Calvillo Garcia, Elsa Mendonza de la Mora, Gloria Irma Marquez, and Maria Eugenia Legarreta Rothe. Some other victims that lost their lives were Andre and Jordan Anchondo, Javier Rodriguez, Arturo Benavides, and many others.
The shooter traveled about 660 miles to target the community of El Paso. He wrote a four-page manifesto explaining his reason for this attack in the border city. "This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas. I am simply defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by an invasion… They (Mexican-Americans) want to live the American Dream which is why they get college degrees and fill higher-paying skilled positions… I am against race mixing because it destroys genetic diversity and creates identity problems. Yet another reason to send them back" Crusius stated in his manifesto, which was posted on the imageboard 8chan less than an hour before his attack.
Democratic presidential candidates and former El Paso Representative Beto O'Rourke spoke out on his way to El Paso Saturday evening. "I know that El Paso is one of the strongest places anywhere in the world. And if there were ever a moment for us to be strong, it is this one" O'Rourke told the media.
El Paso has united as a whole rather than create chaos over this situation. And just hours after the terrible event, El Pasoans had come together to help its community with going to donate blood, having fundraisers for those victims families, local funeral homes giving free funeral services for those that had been affected by the Walmart mass shooting, and many locals gathering around to help those find their loved ones.
One-hundred people were asked If you would still consider El Paso to be among one of the safest cities in the United States after this tragic event, and 83 people believed and 17 people believed that it was not safe anymore. Marifer Gonzalez responded, "It's definitely unsettling, but shouldn't serve as a label for our entire community."
El Paso does not need prayers and thoughts, the Sun City needs action. Politicians need to be motivated to make a change so that this doesn't happen again. The Giffords group and March For Our Lives will be hosting a forum in Las Vegas, Nevada. On October 2, the anniversary of the second-deadliest shooting in the United States. This is where many Democratic presidential candidates and many others will come together and discuss gun control and laws.
