Remembering those we lost on Aug. 3, 2019

EL PASO, Texas ( KTSM ) — A remembrance ceremony for the 23 people who lost their lives five years ago will be taking place this Saturday, Aug. 3, at the El Paso County Healing Garden located inside Ascarate Park.

The ceremony, ‘A Day in Remembrance,’ will be a unifying event that focuses on the 23 people who lost their lives. This year’s ceremony will include the unveiling of a new mural that promotes ‘healing, bi-nationality and positivity,’ a testament to our shared values, El Paso County said.

The event, designed for a peaceful and reflective evening, will commence at 6:30 p.m. with the unveiling of the mural. This will be followed by a luminaria exhibit. At 8:30 p.m., the eternal flame will be revealed, and the names of the 23 people who lost their lives will be read out loud while being honored with a lighted beam.

The healing garden was designated a national memorial in 2023. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar introduced the bill to the House of Representatives in 2021, and U.S. Senator John Cornyn sponsored it before President Biden signed it in December 2022.

Each of the 23 individuals who lost their lives will be honored in a unique and poignant way at the ceremony. Their names will be read out loud, and a lighted beam will be directed towards the sky, symbolizing our collective remembrance and respect for their lives. Here is a remembrance of the victims who lost their lives on Aug. 3, 2019.

Andre and Jordan Anchondo

Andre, 23, and Jordan, 24, were shopping for school supplies for Jordan’s oldest daughter on August 3.

Leonardo Campos and Maribel Loya

Leonardo Campos, 41, and Maribel Loya, 56, were shopping at the Cielo Vista Walmart when they were both shot and killed on August 3. Leo was a native of Rio Grande Valley and Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Early College High School class of 1996. Maribel was a graduate of Austin High School in El Paso. Four children survive the couple.

Maria and Raul Flores

Maria, 77, and Raul Flores, 83, were married for 60 years. The couple lived most of their lives in California and moved to El Paso to retire. They are survived by three children, 11 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

Adolfo Cerros Hernández and Sara Esther Regalado Moriel

Adolfo Cerros Hernández, 68, and Sara Moriel, 66, were one of four couples killed in the Walmart massacre on August 3. Adolfo was originally from Aguascalientes, Mexico, while Sara was a native of Juarez. Three children and four grandchildren survive the couple.

Arturo ‘Tury’ Benavides

Arturo Benavides, 60, was a South El Paso resident, U.S. Army veteran, and a longtime transit operator for Sun Metro until his retirement in 2013. The City of El Paso officially renamed the Sun Metro Transit station on Sunmount, directly behind the Cielo Vista Walmart, to the Arturo “Tury” Benavides Eastside Transit Center on Aug. 1, 2020.

Angie Englisbee

Angie Englisbee, 86, was a native of Santa Fe. She is survived by seven children and over 20 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Jorge Calvillo García

Jorge Calvillo Garica, 61, had just pulled up to the front of the Cielo Vista Walmart around 10:30 a.m. in his pickup truck when shots rang out on August 3.

Guillermo ‘Memo’ Garcia

Guillermo ‘Memo’ Garcia, 36, was shot multiple times and was taken to Del Sol Medical Center, where he underwent dozens of surgeries. Nearly nine months after the shooting, Memo died as a result of his injuries. He was the 23rd victim of the Walmart shooting. Memo leaves behind his wife and two children.

Alexander Gerhard Hoffman

Alexander Gerhard Hoffman, 66, was a native of Germany who had lived in Chihuahua for more than 40 years with his wife, a Mexican national.
Hoffman served in the German Air Force and was stationed at Fort Bliss when he met his wife, Rosa, in a Juárez discotheque. His wife and three children survive him.

David Johnson

David Johnson, 63, died while trying to save his wife and granddaughter. His last words were directing them two to safety.
He was an avid golfer and was a dedicated family man.

Luis Alfonso Juarez

Luis Alfonso Juarez, 90, was one of the oldest victims of the tragedy. He was a native of Mexico who lived in South El Paso. Immigrated to the United States and became a citizen. He went on to have a long career in ironwork. He is survived by seven children, 20 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and eight great-great-grandchildren.

Maria Eugenia Legarreta Rothe

Maria Eugenia Legarreta Rothe, 58, was a Mexican national who lived in Chihuahua. On the morning of August 3, 2019, she traveled to El Paso to pick up her teenage daughter, Natalie, at the El Paso Airport. While waiting for the flight, she decided to run errands at Walmart.
She hailed from a distinguished Chihuahua family known for their thriving restaurants and livestock businesses.

Elsa Mendoza Márquez

Elsa Mendoza Marquez, 57, was a special education teacher in Juárez.
In the days following her death, tributes from colleagues and former students poured in across the border. In a tweet, Mexico’s Secretary of Public Education Esteban Moctezuma Barragán said Mexico’s education community is “mourning the irreparable loss” of Marquez. Her husband and two children survive her.

Ivan Filiberto Manzano

Ivan Manzano, 46, of Juárez, was better known for his stint with Mexican radio station chain Megaradio, where he worked sales and marketing for nearly four years. However, those close to him said he was devoted to his family and church. His wife and two children survive him.

Gloria Irma Márquez

Gloria Irma Márquez, 61, was a Mexican national living legally in El Paso. Due to immigration complications, she’d been separated from her daughter for over 13 years, waiting for documents allowing the two to be reunited in the United States.
Her daughter officially received her VISA just days after Gloria’s death. Márquez’s story brought to light the struggle many families living on the border endure when dealing with immigration status and separation of families.

Margie Reckard

Margie Reckard, 63, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but had roots in Nebraska before moving to El Paso in 2016.
Reckard was battling Parkinson’s disease and lived on disability insurance.
Nearly 4,000 El Pasoans lined blocks in Central El Paso to pay their last respects to Reckard and her children, who traveled for her funeral.

Javier Rodriguez

Javier Rodriguez, 15, was the youngest victim of the tragedy. In the days after the shooting, Horizon High School held a vigil to honor Javier. His relatives released doves into the air, and the school’s choir sang in his honor.

Teresa Sanchez

Teresa Sanchez, 82, was buying groceries at the Walmart with her sister and niece.
Her family says she was shot three times before her sister was able to get help for her. Teresa fought to stay alive but died peacefully the next night. She was the 21st victim of the Walmart shooting.
Teresa was a retired biology teacher living in El Paso for 30 years.

Juan Velazquez

Juan Velazquez, 77, was originally from Zacatecas and lived in El Paso. He is survived by his wife, six children, and more than a dozen grandchildren.

Services are listed below for those who are mentally struggling with the tragedy.

Emergence Health Network

Emergence Health Network is operating its Community Recovery Center, which is specially developed for the mental health needs of the El Paso community following the tragedy on Aug. 3, 2019.

“This center is for families and individuals who need a safe space or who would like to speak to a behavioral health professional with concerns regarding the shooting and its aftermath,” Emergence Health Network said.

Walk-ins are welcome; no appointment is necessary, but it is recommended. Counseling is provided free of charge.

To schedule an appointment, call 915-887-3410, press zero, and request an appointment at the Community Recovery Center.

The center is located at 8730 Boeing Drive and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

El Paso United Family Resiliency Center

The El Paso United Family Resiliency Center is a resource for those directly and indirectly impacted by the tragedy. The center connects with individuals with the following:

• Counseling referrals
• Non-traditional therapies
• Support services for specialized populations
• Education on reducing mental health stigmas

For more information, click here: Home | El Paso United .

El Paso Child Guidance Center

The center provides free counseling and support services for anyone in the community that was impacted by the tragedy.

To schedule an appointment or for more information, contact Beatriz Avila at bavila@epcgc.org or (915) 562-1999.

For information on services for those who were affected by the tragedy, click here: August 3rd Tragedy | El Paso Strong , and scroll to the “Offered Services” section, a testament to our community’s strength and resilience.

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