‘A despicable act of hate’ – lipidzentrum-nordrhein

10:39 am-10:45 am — Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019

In those six minutes, El Paso was gripped by terror and tragedy after a white supremacist gunman traveled 10 hours to wage a racist attack against Mexican people living in the Borderland.

The binational attack ended with 23 people from El Paso and Ciudad Juárez senselessly slaughtered.

On the fifth anniversary of one of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings, El Paso and the rest of the country are still coming to grips with the consequences of that attack, which left holes in families and caused trauma that might not ever be resolved.

Doves are released during a memorial held on the fifth anniversary of the Aug. 3 Walmart mass shooting. The memorial was organized by the Border Network of Human Rights in El Paso, Texas on Aug. 3, 2024.

El Pasoans remembered those lost during local events memorializing the slain and addressing the root causes of the mass shooting — racism and white supremacy.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris sent letters to the El Paso community as they mourned. Biden called the attack “a despicable act of hate.”

“To the survivors and the loved ones of the victims: I know how hard these days can be. Even after years have passed, milestones like this can bring you back to how you felt in the moment you lived your worst nightmare,” Biden wrote .

Officer Chagoya looks out to the parking lot of Walmart on the fifth anniversary of the Aug. 3 Walmart shooting. The officer did not state his first name.

Harris promised to “recommit ourselves to achieving a future where every person can live free from gun violence, fear and hate.

“Doug and I join you in remembering those who lost their lives in this senseless act fueled by white supremacy, and we are thinking of those who were injured,” Harris wrote.

Closer to home, the El Paso and Juárez communities — united in one voice — seemed to be calling out for hope, perseverance and unity. Prince of Peace Christian Fellowship Pastor Michael Grady called Saturday a beautiful day for remembrance.

Volunteers with the Border Network of Human Rights carry crosses with the names of the victims of the Aug. 3 shooting during a memorial on the fifth anniversary of the massacre.

“Here we are again, speaking truth to power, exposing the darkness and offering the light, challenging the highest levels of leadership in the land to fight against systemic racism, xenophobia and white supremacy — all of those characteristics brought us to this day.” he said.

More: Aug. 3, 2019: ‘Lay aside your weapons of hate,’ sadness and look forward with hope

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso Walmart mass shooting: ‘A despicable act of hate’