| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, People from across the state of Texas and the nation |
|
|
were outraged and deeply saddened by the horrific events that took |
|
|
place in El Paso on August 3, 2019, when a gunman went on a racially |
|
|
motivated shooting rampage that claimed the lives of 23 men, women, |
|
|
and children; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The gunman, who had published an online essay |
|
|
detailing his white supremacist and anti-immigrant views, traveled |
|
|
10 hours from his North Texas residence with the expressed intent of |
|
|
targeting people of Mexican descent; armed with an assault rifle, |
|
|
he carried out his attack at the Walmart near El Paso's Cielo Vista |
|
|
Mall on a crowded day when more than one thousand shoppers and one |
|
|
hundred employees were inside the store; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Valiantly risking their own lives, a number of |
|
|
individuals attempted to usher shoppers and employees to safety and |
|
|
protect others in the line of fire; six minutes after receiving the |
|
|
first report of the attack, police arrived and apprehended the |
|
|
gunman, bringing the incident to an end with a final toll of 23 dead |
|
|
and 23 wounded; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The victims killed that day ranged in age from 15 to |
|
|
90 years old, and many more, including children as young as two |
|
|
years old, suffered traumatic injuries; the Walmart store was a |
|
|
popular shopping destination for both El Pasoans and for Mexicans |
|
|
taking day trips across the border, and a number of Mexican |
|
|
nationals were among those who lost their lives; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In the aftermath of that tragic day, El Pasoans |
|
|
demonstrated that the spirit of their community was far too |
|
|
resilient to be broken by one disgraceful act of hate; alongside |
|
|
stories of heroism during the massacre were reports of everyday |
|
|
people lining up at hospitals to donate blood, offering profound |
|
|
compassion, support, and comfort to the surviving families, and |
|
|
rallying behind the mantra "El Paso Strong"; in what was perhaps one |
|
|
of the most moving moments in the weeks that followed, a grieving |
|
|
husband invited the public to attend his wife's memorial service, |
|
|
resulting in more than 3,000 fellow residents turning out to pay |
|
|
their respects; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The incident, which was the deadliest mass shooting |
|
|
targeting Latinos in Texas history, was a devastating shock to a |
|
|
city that is so renowned for its welcoming hospitality and |
|
|
close-knit sense of community; more than a year has passed since |
|
|
that terrible event made headlines all across the world, but the |
|
|
passage of time has not diminished the tremendous sense of grief |
|
|
felt over the loss of 23 innocent lives, nor has it lessened the |
|
|
resolve of the people of El Paso to stand together against the |
|
|
insidious forces of hatred, prejudice, and violence; now, |
|
|
therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the victims of the mass shooting |
|
|
that took place in El Paso on August 3, 2019, and offer heartfelt |
|
|
condolences to the families and friends who carry on their |
|
|
memories. |