Pod Insights Murder In America EP. 218 - TEXAS: The El Paso Walmart Shooting (Pt. 2) About this episode In 2019, a vicious crime rocked the West Texas town of El Paso, when a man drove into town with a heart full of hatred. At the end of that fateful day, over 20 people would be dead, and a horrifying story of hatred would begin to rapidly unravel. In today's episode, we explore the shooting itself, and examine exactly how it played out, minute by minute, while at the same time telling the stories of the victims themselves, and sharing the details of the lives that were lost.
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Transcript 14,656 words · 21 speakers
Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
0:00 Speaker 00 LinkedIn is pretty amazing at helping you grow your small business. We cannot stop your new clients from emailing you at 3 a.m.
0:09 Speaker 00 We can help you sell, market, and hire in one place. We cannot help you be in three places at once. And while we can't help you organize your calendar, LinkedIn can help you land more clients so you have a calendar to organize. Grow your small business on LinkedIn. Learn more at LinkedIn.com/smallbusiness.
0:30 Speaker 01 Now streaming on Paramount Plus. I'm Dexter Morgan. I've been killing killers for half my life. It gets to you. You're having a midlife crisis. I'm not ready for this. He's back. I'm older. I'm wiser. And sharper than ever. Things are gonna get messy. But if I can't believe in myself, I can't believe in anything. Dexter Resurrection. New season now streaming on the Paramount Plus Premium Plan.
1:00 Speaker 02 Cheers to fall savings at Whole Foods Market, home of higher ingredient standards. This Halloween, share chocolates and candies made without that spooky high fructose corn syrup. Throwing a party? Make it easy with a berry chantilly cake. Ready to cook pizza? No antibiotics ever chicken wings. And sushi made fresh daily. Fall gatherings never tasted better. Save through November 3rd at Whole Foods Market.
1:27 Colin Brown? Warning: The following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects.
1:39 Courtney Brown? Trigger warnings from the stories we cover may include violence, rape, murder, and offenses against children.
1:46 Colin Brown? This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned.
1:50 Courtney Brown? August 3rd, 2019 was your typical Saturday morning in the town of El Paso, Texas. It was warm, the sun was shining down, and the hum of traffic filled the streets as people ran their errands. With summer winding down, many residents made their way to the local Walmart for some back-to-school shopping. Within the store, parents were filling their carts with notebooks, pencils, and backpacks while their children happily darted between aisles. Other people were there stocking up on groceries for the week. The McDonald's at the front of the store was filled with families grabbing a quick bite to eat. Some had stopped by the store's first convenience bank to deposit a check or withdraw some
2:35 Courtney Brown? money. There were nearly 100 people inside, each with their own purpose. And like anyone who stops by a grocery store, it was a menial part of their day. But for some, it would be the last thing they would ever do before their life came to a tragic end. Because while everyone was shopping, a cowardly man was sitting in the parking lot with one singular purpose: to end the lives of as many Hispanic people as possible. So this is part two of the El Paso Walmart shooting. In next week's episode, we will be talking about the gunman's arrest, the trial, and the aftermath of the tragedy. So with that, I'm Courtney Brown.
3:18 Colin Brown? And I'm Colin Brown.
3:20 Courtney Brown? And you're listening to Murder in America.
4:23 Colin Brown? El Paso, Texas, is filled with hard-working people, great restaurants and small businesses, plenty of celebrations, and a lot of love. It's the sixth-largest city in the state with a population of around 679,000 residents. It's located in far west Texas and sits right on the US-Mexico border, a border it shares with the Mexican city of Juarez, so about 80% of its residents are Hispanic. Because of that, it has a beautiful blend of American and Mexican cultures. In addition to celebrating American holidays like the Fourth of July, the city also celebrates Mexican holidays with vibrant parades like the Dia de los Muertos Parade and the Vivamos
5:04 Colin Brown? Mexico Official Grito Celebration, which commemorates Mexican Independence Day.
5:10 Courtney Brown? So for many of the people who live there, they get to honor their Mexican heritage while also embracing their life here in America, which is exactly what makes America a beautiful country: a country with people from all different backgrounds and cultures who get to work towards the American dream while still celebrating where they have come from. But all of those things that we just mentioned about the beauty of El Paso and its residents are the exact reasons why this city was targeted in 2019. Around this time, and even more so today, there are people in America who vilify immigrants. Then, there's a subgroup of people who wish harm upon them. Many of these people find like-minded individuals online.
5:55 Courtney Brown? And together, they spread their hate far and wide.
5:58 Colin Brown? One of those people was a 21-year-old from the suburbs of Dallas. This coward, who never amounted to much in his life, decided that he wanted to send a message to immigrants here in the United States. And he came up with a plan to kill as many Hispanic people as possible. For him, a place like El Paso, where the majority of people speak Spanish and have darker skin, was the perfect location to carry out his demented plan.
6:25 Courtney Brown? People often refer to El Paso as "the sun city", as the majority of the year, it's bright and sunny. And while that may have been the case on August 3rd, 2019, this day would end in complete darkness. That morning, 58-year-old Maria Eugenia Legarreta Roth had entered the Walmart to do some shopping. Maria was born in Mexico in 1961. Her family was well-known in the area for their restaurant and livestock business. But Maria had always dreamt of being a mother. Her four children were her pride and joy. One of her friends said, quote, "She never stopped smiling.
7:06 Courtney Brown? She was a wonderful woman, very dedicated to her children, and a wonderful cook," end quote. At the time of our story, Maria was still living in Mexico. But that morning, she drove to El Paso to pick up her 16-year-old daughter Natalie from the airport. Natalie was her youngest. She had been traveling in Europe, and Maria was so excited to be reunited. After making the drive to El Paso, while she waited for Natalie's plane to arrive, Maria decided to stop by the Walmart to pick up a few things. Shortly after 10:30 a.m., she walked to the front of the store, paid for her items, and then walked out.
7:47 Courtney Brown? But as she made her way to her car, she saw something that made her stop in her tracks. It was a young man, wearing a black shirt, khaki pants, goggles, earmuffs, and gloves. But the most notable thing about him was the rifle he was holding. The two locked eyes, and immediately Maria knew her life was in danger. Suddenly, she was staring down the barrel of his gun, and the man started walking right towards her. She attempted to get away, even running behind a nearby van to shield herself, but it was too late. The gunman pulled the trigger, killing Maria instantly.
8:29 Courtney Brown? Her family would later say that later that day, when they couldn't get a hold of Maria, they began to worry. And then, along with the rest of the world, they learned about the mass shooting. For hours and hours, all they could do was pray and hope that she wasn't a victim, that this was all just a misunderstanding and that she would come home. Her sister Martha even posted on social media, hoping to find her. But eventually, their worst fears were confirmed. Maria was one of the murder victims.
9:01 Colin Brown? Now, by this point, every American has had to put ourselves in that situation. What to do if you find yourself in a mass shooting? So, when those first shots rang out, many people ran from the scene. Some who were leaving Walmart ran back inside, thinking that the threat was contained in the parking lot. But not everyone would have their chance to get away. The gunman made his way towards another man in the parking lot. Sixty-six-year-old Alexander Hoffman was born on November 8th, 1952, in Germany. He served in the German Air Force and was eventually stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso. While there, he crossed the border into Mexico, and that's when he met his future wife, Rosa Maria Valdez Garcia. Together, the couple would move to Europe and have three children.
9:46 Colin Brown? But in the late 80s, they decided to move to Mexico. According to Rosa, Alexander considered Mexico his home and happily referred to himself as a Mexican. He loved James Bond, Star Trek, and The Beatles. His daughter Elise described him as "a gentle giant with a big heart." Now, after leaving the military, Alexander found work as an engineer, and that's what he would do for the rest of his life. He absolutely loved working on different projects, even after he retired. On that morning, Alexander Hoffman had just arrived at Walmart to pick up some tools and furniture for an upcoming project. He often crossed the border to buy supplies at this very Walmart. But unfortunately, on August 3rd, it would be his last trip, as the gunman quickly shot him down in the parking lot.
10:31 Colin Brown? Alexander was born in Germany after World War II, and he often told his family how important it was to study history. He knew firsthand what could happen if you let hate fill your heart. And sadly, this very hatred that Alexander warned against is the same hatred the gunman had within himself.
10:51 Courtney Brown? Directly in front of the Walmart, a children's soccer team was holding a fundraiser. Three dads, Luis Calvillo, Benny McGuire, and Memo Garcia, decided to create the soccer team called the El Paso Fusion Soccer Club for their young daughters. The girls on the team were aged nine through 11. Luis was the head coach, and his goal was to encourage the girls and make them feel supported in a sport that they loved.
11:19 Speaker 05 Nice job, Emily. Good job. To get to the top, we gotta win the bottle first. I believe in you.
11:27 Courtney Brown? On the morning of August 3rd, 2019, the team had set up a tent in the front of Walmart. They were selling chicharrones and cold drinks to fundraise for their very first out-of-state tournament. Over a dozen girls stood out there, wearing hot pink shirts, holding signs, and greeting the people walking inside. Here are some clips from that morning right before tragedy unfolded.
11:53 Speaker 06 So, what's this, guys? Chicharrones? Let's go ahead and make it happen, guys. Hey, Coach Memo. Woo! Hey, Matty. Good job, good job.
12:02 Courtney Brown? One of the girls on the team was named Emily. Her father was Luis, the head coach. At one point, Luis went live on Facebook and told the players, quote, "Say hi, girls. Tell them to come out and support." End quote. Now that morning, Luis's father and Emily's grandfather, 61-year-old Jorge Calavio Garcia, made his way to the Walmart to support the team. Jorge spent most of his life in Juarez, but had recently relocated to El Paso and worked there as an accountant. He had three children, including Luis, who was the head coach of the soccer team. But more than anything, Jorge loved being a grandparent.
12:46 Courtney Brown? He was always so supportive of the EP Fusion Soccer Team. That morning, he had even volunteered to bring them food and water. His sister Elizabeth said, quote, "He was a beautiful human being, an excellent dad, uncle, husband, and brother," end quote. Around 10:30 that morning, Jorge pulled up to the EP Fusion tent in his pickup truck. Shortly before he got there, he called to place a huge order to support them. When he arrived, he immediately greeted his son and granddaughter, only to hear shots ring out moments later. After killing the first few people in the parking lot, the gunman started walking
13:29 Courtney Brown? straight towards the little girls at the front of the Walmart. Many of the girls on the team were Hispanic, as were their parents. So it didn't matter to the gunman that these were children. They were the exact targets he was looking for that day. And soon enough, he lifted his gun and started shooting in their direction. Instinctively, Jorge courageously shielded his granddaughter and her teammates from the bullets. In the process, he would be shot, along with his son Luis and several other parents who were there. But tragically, Jorge would lose his life protecting the young girls. His sister Elizabeth would later write on Facebook, quote, "It's not goodbye here,
14:15 Courtney Brown? but see you soon," end quote.
14:20 Colin Brown? Another person who was shot was 36-year-old Memo Garcia, one of the coaches of the team. Born on November 29, 1979 in El Paso, Memo was a devoted husband to Jessica and father to 11-year-old Karina and 5-year-old Guillermo Jr. His family gave him the nickname Tank because he was a big guy standing at 6'3" and nearly 400 pounds. During his childhood, he was described as being a jokester, and he always loved the game of soccer. Memo and Jessica both attended Montwood High School, but Jessica would later say, "I was really shy. He was older than I was. He was very outgoing. He was always funny, always smiling, always happy.
15:02 Colin Brown? I reached a point where I realized I just couldn't be without seeing him." According to family members, Memo was really good with the ladies, but the only woman he wanted was Jessica. After high school, the two wanted a fresh start, so they moved to Salient, Kansas and worked together at a pizza factory. But things were rough in the beginning. They slept on a mattress on the floor and used black towels as curtains. However, none of that mattered to them. They were just happy to have each other. Nine years into their relationship, Memo placed a ring in a box of chocolates and then told Jessica to open it. She later laughed, saying that the piece of chocolate with the ring was wrapped completely differently than all the others. But of course, she said yes.
15:46 Colin Brown? And the two went on to live a beautiful life together. After moving back to El Paso, they stayed committed to raising their children in a loving and supportive home. And Memo was extremely active in their lives. He coached Karina's soccer team and volunteered on Guillermo Jr.'s T-ball team. For him, his children were everything. If his children had an early morning game, he would start his workday at 3 a.m. just to make sure he could make it to their tournaments.
16:12 Courtney Brown? Tragically, on the morning of August 3rd, when the gunfire started in the Walmart parking lot, Memo was shot three times while shielding his daughter. His wife Jessica was also shot. Within seconds, witnesses reported bodies being sprawled out on the concrete. There was blood everywhere. People were screaming. The injured were groaning in agony. Near the tent, the drinks and food that the girls were selling covered the ground. Now Memo Garcia was still alive after that round of gunfire. Another coach, Benny McGuire, rushed to his side. He heard him screaming that he had been hit. Blood was pouring from a gunshot wound to his hip.
16:56 Courtney Brown? Here are some audio clips from outside the Walmart that morning.
17:04 Speaker 07 I see Coach Memo down. I'm hit, I'm hit. And I see him like putting pressure on his hip. And I was like, keep the pressure, keep the pressure. And I look over to my left. And Luis is trying to get up.
17:23 Speaker 07 So when I turn around, I'm like, somebody help, like somebody.
17:26 Courtney Brown? When help finally arrived, Memo was brought to a hospital where he fought for his life in the ICU. His wife Jessica ended up making a full recovery. But sadly, nine months after the shooting, after over 50 surgeries, Memo lost his life, becoming the final victim of this massacre.
17:46 Colin Brown? Now, another parent who was outside helping with the fundraiser was Mary Bell Latine. When those first shots rang out, she dropped to the ground. The gunman continued shooting all around her.
17:57 Speaker 08 I just yelled, "There's shooting", threw myself on the floor. We all threw ourselves on the floor. We had nowhere to run. There was nowhere, no way we could have ran out of there. I hid behind the SUV that was there, behind the tire. And I looked to the front. This guy was two cars away from us, just shooting at us. And I saw him reload his gun and walk towards us again. And he just cold-bloodedly came straight at us and shot us. He shot eight rounds. I had to pretend I was dead. And he was right next to me.
18:42 Speaker 08 And he shot eight more rounds. And all I could say is, "God, please take care of my children. And please, don't let him do anything to my daughter or any of the girls in our team. And it's not fair that somebody from God knows where just showed up and did something so..."
19:06 Speaker 09 Ugly to us with so much hatred. I felt him right next to him. He was right next to him, me. I, he wasn't breathing hard. He was the calmest person ever. He didn't say anything.
19:21 Speaker 09 Just plain hatred and just anger.
19:25 Courtney Brown? Maribel said that right when she thought she was about to die, the gunman walked away. She had been shot twice, but thankfully she would survive. Despite the immense pain she felt from her gunshot wounds, she got up to find her daughter and the other girls from the soccer team. And that's when she learned that a bakery worker from inside the Walmart had brought them to safety. Luckily, all of the young girls from the soccer team would make it out alive.
19:53 Colin Brown? Adriana Gonzalez would later recall that she was at the Walmart with her mother when the shooting started. Now, she was a teacher, but she married an army captain who taught her what to do in these scenarios. And because of her, she was able to bring some of these young girls to safety.
20:08 Speaker 09 We walk into the Walmart, me and my mother. As usual, normal day.
20:15 Speaker 09 And that's when we heard three gunshots. So I told my mom to wait here and see what was going on in front. That's when I saw the shooter with a black shirt, khaki pants, and with a gun. He was going towards a child, maybe, if I could remember, maybe like seven, eight years old. That's when I started to shout out to everybody to follow me and to go to this exit door, which is in back of Walmart.
20:58 Speaker 09 And that's where I was pushing everybody out. Like, we need to get out, we need to get out. People were, you know, going crazy, looking at their phones, not knowing where to go. And I was just being patient and very calm and just getting everyone out as soon as possible.
21:21 Speaker 09 I thought I was gonna die. I even called my wife.
21:26 Speaker 09 And I told her, if I don't make it, I just wanted to know that I love you. And I tell my family and my nieces and my nephews that I love them. And I told her I need to, I need to, I need to hang up. And that was it.
21:46 Colin Brown? As the chaos unfolded outside, Walmart's store manager, Robert Evans, who was near one of the entrances checking emails on his phone, heard the gunshots and immediately issued a code BROWN, which meant "active shooter." Robert screamed out to everyone in the store that a man with a gun was on his way inside the building, and he tried to usher as many people as he could towards the back. Within seconds, customers and employees fled through aisles and clothing racks. People were grabbing random children and running with them to safety. There was panic as people tried to escape. Screams of "run!", "shooter!", "tiros!", "vaminos!" could be heard throughout the store. But not everyone heard these warnings. And if they did, for some of them, there was no time to react.
22:29 Colin Brown? Because before they knew it, the gunman was inside. A man named Christopher Grant was in the produce section with his elderly mother when he saw the gunman outside.
22:38 Speaker 10 I saw him standing in the parking lot. And I saw him popping people off. I was inside the produce department, which is right by the front door. And I saw him popping people off, and I was like, you know, this is crazy. So when, to deter him, I started just chunking bottles. I just started throwing bottles, random bottles at him. And I'm not a baseball player, so one went this way and one went that way. And then one went right towards him, and then that's when he saw me. And just started, and I ducked and started, I was behind the chips. And so I ducked, and he just, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, started firing off rounds at me, and I was like...
23:22 Speaker 10 Oh my god, this guy's shooting at me.
23:24 Colin Brown? Eventually, Christopher was struck by a bullet.
23:27 Speaker 10 And then so, when I got hit, it was like, it was like somebody put a hand grenade in your back and pulled the pin. That's basically what it felt like, felt like. And then so I was like, oh my god, I gotta get up, I gotta get up, get up, get up, get up.
23:42 Colin Brown? After being shot, Christopher and his mother were able to run towards the auto department. While there, he ran into a federal agent named Donna. Christopher would later say that she was his guardian angel. Donna helped patch up his wound, and she even threw him into the back of a pickup truck so that he could be taken to the hospital. And luckily, he would make a full recovery. But that wasn't the case for everyone.
24:06 Courtney Brown? Eighty-two-year-old Teresa Sanchez had lived in El Paso for over thirty years. She was a mother, a sister, an aunt, and a friend to many. In her earlier years, she worked as a biology teacher. But after retiring, her life slowed down a bit. However, she made sure to stay active. In 2019, Teresa and her eighty-year-old sister Rosa were living together. The two had been close throughout their life. And now that they were older, they had each other to lean on. On most weekends, Teresa and Rosa would go shopping in town with their niece Rosemary Vega. And this weekend was just like any other. The three had spent the morning browsing the aisles at Walmart, picking out their food for the week.
24:50 Courtney Brown? At 10:39 a.m., they had just finished checking out and were walking towards the exit when they came face to face with the gunman. When bullets came flying at them, Teresa, Rosa, and Rosemary were all hit. Luckily, Rosa and Rosemary would survive. But after being shot three times, eighty-two-year-old Teresa would pass away. But as you can imagine, the inside of Walmart was complete chaos. And in this next clip, we are going to play some audio from inside.
25:50 Courtney Brown? As those first shots rang out, the people inside Walmart began to panic. Some were able to run to the back of the store, but for many, there was nowhere to go, as the gunman was right in front of them. 90-year-old Luis Alfonso Juarez and his wife of 70 years, Martha, were out shopping for groceries that morning. It's what they did every Saturday. Born in 1929, Luis had immigrated to the United States from Mexico. He got his citizenship, bought a home, and he worked as an ironworker for decades. He was living out the American dream. Throughout his career, Luis helped construct multiple buildings throughout El Paso and
26:33 Courtney Brown? Los Angeles, and he was considered a master welder. After meeting Martha, the two got married, and they went on to have seven children. From that, they had 20 grandchildren, and 35 great-grandchildren, and eight great-great-grandchildren. Luis was proud of his family, and they all loved him dearly. They described him as "kind, sweet, and loving." When people mistreated him, he always understood and felt that everyone was going through something, so we need to be nice to each other. He was fascinated to learn about other cultures, and was always curious before he was ever angry. Luis was also very wise.
27:15 Courtney Brown? Anytime someone had a problem, they always came to him because he had the best advice. In his older years, Luis retired from his welding job, but his family said that he still took on welding projects from time to time. He was very independent. He liked to keep himself busy. In fact, even though he was 90 years old, he had just painted his house. His granddaughter said, "You'd think he was 20 years younger."
27:43 Courtney Brown? It was a running saying within his family that he was definitely going to live past 100, given how healthy and active he was. And that very well may have been the case if Luis hadn't been in Walmart that morning. But sadly, near the front of the store, Luis was shot and killed in front of his wife. He was the oldest victim. His family would later say, quote, "We can't begin to describe the pain we are all feeling right now, and we are heartbroken that our grandmother's final years with her husband were so violently ripped away," end quote.
28:17 Colin Brown? Inside the Walmart that morning, chaos unfolded. Like they teach in mass shooting scenarios, if you're unable to run, you hide, which is exactly what some people did. Some hid behind merchandise, clothing racks, or near the cash registers up front. Here's one video that someone took from their cellphone.
28:37 Speaker 11 There's Russian guns in Walmart, right? AK, somebody's got shot.
28:43 Courtney Brown? 57-year-old Elsa Mendoza de Lamora and her husband Antonio had arrived at Walmart that morning after crossing over the border. The two lived in Mexico and would often come to the United States to visit family and shop for groceries. Elsa and Antonio loved their life together. They had two beautiful children. Elsa was a special education teacher and a principal at an elementary school. Antonio was a professor at a university in Mexico. In Elsa's 30 years of teaching, she touched the hearts of hundreds of people. One of her colleagues said, quote, "Elsa was very giving and very dedicated," end quote.
29:24 Courtney Brown? One of her mottos was, "Things done with love are done better." Antonio would later say that Elsa was, quote, "The most wonderful of women, of being full of light," end quote. Now that morning, as the two pulled into the parking lot of the Walmart, Antonio decided to stay in the car while Elsa ran inside to pick up a few things. After the gunshots rang out, Antonio saw people running from the Walmart. He then saw the bodies laying on the concrete outside. Once he understood what was happening, he desperately waited, scanning the faces of the people running outside, hoping and praying to see his wife.
30:07 Courtney Brown? But even after help arrived and the survivors made their way out, Elsa was nowhere to be found. He would later find out that she had been shot and killed inside the Walmart that morning. Antonia would later write on Facebook, "I bid farewell to my companion, the most marvelous of women, a person full of light, who will continue illuminating our way for the rest of our lives. We are going to miss you, love." End quote.
30:33 Speaker 00 LinkedIn is pretty amazing at helping you grow your small business. We cannot make your email response time faster. We can help you sell, market, and hire in one place. We cannot help you find space for your three desk drinks. Why do you have three? And while we can't help you find the perfect volume for your presentation video, LinkedIn can help you find the perfect audience for your business. Grow your small business on LinkedIn. Learn more at LinkedIn.com/smallbusiness.
31:04 Speaker 01 Now streaming on Paramount Plus. I'm Dexter Morgan. I've been killing killers for half my life. It gets to you. You're having a midlife crisis. I'm not ready for that. He's back. I'm older. I'm wiser. And sharper than ever. Things are gonna get messy. But if I can't believe in myself, I can't believe in anything. Dexter Resurrection. New season now streaming on the Paramount Plus Premium Plan.
31:34 Speaker 02 Cheers to fall savings at Whole Foods Market, home of higher ingredient standards. This Halloween, share chocolates and candies, made without that spooky high fructose corn syrup. Throwing a party? Make it easy with a berry chantilly cake. Ready to cook pizza? No antibiotics ever chicken wings. And sushi made fresh daily. Fall gatherings never tasted better. Save through November 3rd at Whole Foods Market.
32:03 Colin Brown? Another victim who was shot and killed inside the store was 63-year-old Margie K. Record. Born on August 21st, 1955 in Washington DC, Margie didn't have the easiest childhood. She married young and raised three children, Dean, Henry, and Hilda, in Omaha, Nebraska. Her first husband passed away in 1995, and in the late 90s, she met Antonio Bosco at a bar. Antonio told CNN that Margie kept smiling at him, and he eventually got the courage to approach her. And from that moment on, their lives changed forever. Antonio said, "Me and my wife had a bond, a magnificent bond. I never felt anything like that in my life."
32:45 Colin Brown? Margie married him when she was in her 40s, and despite her rough upbringing, they went on to have a beautiful life together. They traveled around the country and eventually settled in El Paso. The couple ran a local car wash in town and lived a modest but happy life. Unfortunately, Margie was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but she never let it get her down. In fact, she had recently undergone surgery, and it seemed to have been successful. She was hopeful for the future. Antonio called her an angel and said she was the brains of the family. They often said their life together was like a fairy tale. Antonio said, "I mean, you didn't even have to be there to talk to her. You could just look at how she was, how she acted, how she presented herself. She was an awesome lady."
33:30 Colin Brown? The two had been together for 22 years, and although those years were beautiful, they didn't seem like enough. Antonio said, "I've been lost. I'm like a puppy run away from its mama. She took care of me. We were gonna live together and die together. That was our plan." But sadly, all those plans changed when Margie was gunned down inside of the Walmart that morning. Now, we're still just seconds into the shooting, and soon enough, 911 calls started pouring in. But the police just couldn't get there fast enough. After murdering Margie K. Record, the gunman approached 41-year-old Leonardo Campos Jr. and his wife of 16 years, Mary Bell Hernandez Loyah. Leonardo grew up in San Juan.
34:13 Colin Brown? In high school, he was the goalie on the Bears soccer team and the kicker for the football team. His brother, David Campos, who was 15 years younger, recalled Leonardo coaching his Little League baseball team and pushing him and his teammates to excel. David told the El Paso Times, "He was super tough on us, but it was..." Worth it. It was so much fun and he made me a better player and a better man. He would tell us to never give up, no matter what life throws at you. Leonardo was described as funny and outgoing and that he loved making other people laugh, which is what caught the eye of Mary Bell Hernandez Loia. She was born in nineteen sixty-three and according to her loved ones, she was the most amazing woman.
34:53 Colin Brown? She was nurturing, kind, and her warm personality touched every single person that she came into contact with. When Mary Bell and Leonardo met for the first time, it was obvious that they were a great match. At the time, Mary Bell had four children of her own, but Leonardo didn't mind. In fact, he loved her children as if they were his own. After he and Mary Bell got married, they made the move to El Paso in two thousand and nine. And according to his brother David, Leonardo fell in love with this city and he wanted to make a difference here. He had even recently gone back to school so he could become a teacher. Mary Bell was so proud of her husband. She watched him work so hard for this career change and she supported him wholeheartedly.
35:35 Colin Brown? Now, on this morning in particular, Leonardo and Mary Bell had just dropped off their beloved dog Fifi at the groomer. And while they waited, they decided to head to Walmart for some shopping. Later that day, the couple's grandchildren planned to stop by their house. So they wanted to buy them some school supplies for the upcoming year. But while they browsed the aisles, they came face to face with the gunman. While trying to run for safety, sadly, they were both shot dead. Sadly, their family members had no idea the couple was even at Walmart that morning. Later that day, when they failed to pick up their dog, the groomers ended up calling the couple's children. And it was in that moment where the family began to panic.
36:17 Colin Brown? By then, word of the mass shooting had spread all across the nation. So with a horrible feeling in their gut, they looked at the couple's location. And when they saw that they were at Walmart, their worst fears suddenly became a reality. Just to be safe, they even drove to the Walmart and there in the parking lot, they found their vehicle. Empty, along with all the other empty, still parked cars belonging to the other victims.
36:45 Courtney Brown? Back inside the Walmart, a man named Alden Hall was grocery shopping. Alden was originally from New York, but at the time, he was serving in the Army in El Paso. The father of three heard a loud commotion moments earlier. But even though he was familiar with the sound of gunfire, he just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he was hearing gunshots within Walmart.
37:09 Speaker 11 What walked through my head, the first thing was I heard the shots, so I assumed it was firecrackers. Then I noticed there was no pattern, so I assumed there was a handgun, maybe an adolescence, that was just shooting off rounds of a handgun. Then I heard a burst of 60 rounds and I knew it was a assault rifle or an automatic weapon. So at that point, that's why, you know, I became fragile to the situation, a little frantic.
37:33 Courtney Brown? Alden had just turned down the produce aisle when he saw the shooter. According to him, the two looked each other right in the eye, and he even watched the gunman smirk as he lifted his gun.
37:44 Speaker 11 When he entered the store, he gave me a smirk, so I knew he's, and aimed directly towards me. So it was directly to me, and then he hit the person next to me. They were on the floor, and then after that, I kind of feel like I was still targeted, so I kept moving. And then after I lost the person, the shooter, then apparently after that, he was just shooting generally to everybody, towards everybody.
38:04 Speaker 12 When you turned and took off, how quickly after that did you hear gunfire?
38:08 Speaker 11 Approximately four seconds after, and hit the guy next to me.
38:13 Speaker 12 How close was the man next to him?
38:15 Speaker 11 What then, the arms length?
38:16 Speaker 12 Did he survive?
38:18 Speaker 11 The first shot, yes, but not the second shot.
38:20 Courtney Brown? Alden took cover in the aisles of food, but soon enough, there were dead bodies all around him. He turned to try and help them, but after realizing many of them were dead and the threat was still right there, he decided to run towards the emergency exit. Luckily, Alden would make it out alive, but the same can't be said for many others, like 41-year-old Ivan Filiberto Menzano.
38:48 Courtney Brown? Ivan had crossed the border from Juarez that morning to pick up a package at Walmart. He was a Mexican citizen and happily married to the love of his life, Adriana Zandri. Together, they had an eight-year-old son and a five-year-old daughter. According to his family, Ivan was a dedicated family man, a hard worker, and an avid marathon runner. He was also the sole provider for his family. Over in Juarez, he ran a retail business, which often required him to cross the border to El Paso to buy supplies for his business, which is exactly what he was doing that day. That morning, he and his aunt Patricia had crossed the border to pick up some items.
39:31 Courtney Brown? Patricia decided to go to a Walmart on the west side of town, and Ivan headed straight for the Silo Vista Walmart. According to his WhatsApp messages, the last message he would ever send was at 10:21 a.m. Shortly after, Ivan would be shot dead, three days after his 41st birthday. When his family got word of the shooting in El Paso and they weren't able to contact Ivan, they rushed over to a nearby elementary school where they waited for hours. And then finally, they got the news. When they found out that Ivan was a victim of this massacre, they were devastated. His mom, Josefina Manzano, said that he was a pillar of their family,
40:15 Courtney Brown? someone she could always rely on. She said, quote, "I saw him care for his children, for his wife. We could depend on him emotionally and spiritually," end quote. And that was true. In fact, his mom Josefina had recently had a heart attack in April. And following the incident, Ivan dropped everything to give her the care she needed, which is how he was with everyone he loved. His wife would later say that when it came to telling their children about their father's death, she couldn't even bring herself to tell them what really happened. How do you tell an eight- and five-year-old that their father was murdered in cold blood by a man who wanted to kill him strictly because of his skin color?
40:59 Courtney Brown? His wife would later say that instead, she told her kids that Ivan was in an accident. And one day when they're ready, she'll tell them the truth about what really happened.
41:10 Colin Brown? Also in the Walmart that morning was 66-year-old Sarah Esther Regaldo Moriel and her husband, 68-year-old Adolfo Saros Hernandez. Both were from Mexico. They had three daughters, including Sandra Yvonne Saros, and four grandchildren. Sarah was the matriarch of the family, and the family photographs of her and Adolfo showed their deep love for one another. Although details about their backgrounds are limited, we know that both were loved and adored by their family members and friends. Like many of the people in Walmart that morning, the couple regularly traveled across the border into El Paso to do their shopping. And like many, they were murdered in cold blood. When word spread about the horrific massacre, their family members became frantic.
41:55 Colin Brown? Because they didn't live in America, their family had a hard time getting information on what happened. Eventually, they got confirmation that they were two of the victims. Their daughter Sandra posted to Facebook saying, "With deep pain in our hearts, we inform you that our dear parents died in the tragic shooting. I don't know how long it will take for my soul to heal. We thank you infinitely for your prayers, your support, concern, calls, and messages. They have been a great company during this crisis." She later posted a photo of her grandparents sitting at a table, holding up drinks and a toast. A happy image that they wanted to remember them by. Their granddaughter, Wilke Yu, later wrote on Facebook,
42:37 Colin Brown? "I don't know if heaven exists, but if it does, I hope you are as comfortable and happy as you are here."
42:43 Courtney Brown? Another couple inside the Walmart that morning was 77-year-old Maria Flores and her husband, 83-year-old Raul Flores. The two had been married for 60 beautiful years. And during that time, they hardly ever spent a day apart. The couple met in Juarez, Mexico, decades earlier, when Raul worked as a tailor. Their family later said, quote, "He would make sure he was outside sweeping when Maria would walk down the sidewalk. He tried getting her attention by asking her, 'Shall I brush your hair?' as he motioned with the broom." End quote. And eventually, his tactic worked.
43:25 Courtney Brown? After giving him a chance, Maria was swept off her feet. Soon after, they married, and Raul doted on Maria. I think it's safe to say her love language was gifts. And Raul made sure to fulfill that. He loved buying her shoes and clothes and watching the smile grow across her face when he gifted them to her. Throughout their life, Raul was a painter and Maria was a homemaker, who loved to cook large, elaborate meals and fancy desserts for her family, while dancing to Elvis Presley or Marco Antonio Solis. Now, in those early days, the couple lived in California, and they went on to have three children.
44:08 Courtney Brown? Raul Flores Jr., Letizia Saldana, and Adriana Flores. Unfortunately, in 1959, they lost their two-week-old infant, Alejandra, to pneumonia. But her death only brought them closer. Now, in the early 2000s, as the couple grew older, they decided to relocate to El Paso, and they loved it there. They spent their days together gardening, cooking tamales, and spending quality time with their 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Their family would later say that if their grandkids called Maria, saying they were coming over, they could always expect a plate full of their favorite food when they walked through the door.
44:50 Courtney Brown? Raul and Maria were the backbone of their family, and their love was something special. Their daughter said, quote, "They were so much alike, my parents. They were inseparable. My whole life, that was my goal, to have a marriage, a love like that," end quote. Sadly, in the weeks before the shooting, Raul had been having some health problems. In fact, he was scheduled to have open-heart surgery just a few days later. Maria was worried. She loved her husband more than anything, and the thought of something happening to him, after having him right there by her side for her whole life, was scary. To prepare for the upcoming surgery, some of their relatives were coming to stay at their house.
45:34 Courtney Brown? So Raul and Maria went to the Walmart that morning to buy some air mattresses for them. But sadly, just minutes after they arrived, the gunman came in and shot them both. Raul and Maria would die on the floor of that Walmart, right next to each other. Their son Raul Jr. told The Washington Post that even though his parents didn't deserve to die the way they did, he found comfort knowing they died together. He said, quote, "I tell myself, maybe it's the Lord's way of doing it. Maybe he knew my father wasn't going to make it during this surgery. And maybe he knew that if anything happened to my father, my mother would be destroyed. Maybe that's why he decided to take them together."
46:20 Courtney Brown? End quote.
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47:08 Colin Brown? Another couple whose lives were completely changed that day was 60-year-old Arturo Benavides and his wife Patty. Arturo was born and raised in El Paso. He grew up in the city's south-central neighborhood. After graduating from Jefferson High School, he enlisted in the Army in June of 1978. Throughout his military career, he held multiple jobs: Hawk Missile Crewman, Cargo Specialist, and Motor Transportation Operator. After his time in the military, Arturo worked in El Paso's public transit for 20 years. From 1993 to 2006, he also worked as a bus driver. His niece, Jaclyn Luna, would later say, "People would look forward to riding on his bus. Regulars would only ride with him."
47:53 Colin Brown? That says a lot. Now, because of his different jobs, a lot of people around town knew him. Anytime he would go out, people would come up and talk to him. He was a very friendly man that people were drawn to. It is why his wife Patty fell for him. By 2019, the two had been married for 34 years. Throughout that time, they never had children of their own, but their family was everything to them. Their niece, Jaclyn Luna, would later say, "I was practically their child. I spent my childhood waking up at their house, sitting out on the front porch with him on Sunday mornings, listening to the oldies on the radio." Jaclyn said that Arturo loved to tell stories, especially from his days in the army.
48:35 Colin Brown? He also loved rock music, pineapple upside-down cake, and his dog Milo. But the main thing people remember him by is his kindness. His niece Jaclyn said, "If anyone ever needed anything, he was the first one there. If we needed a ride, a shirt, or a meal, he was always the first person to offer anything he had. Whenever we all went out to eat, he would pay the whole bill. He didn't want anyone to spend a dime." On this morning, Arturo and Patty made their way to Walmart for their weekly shopping. Now, they usually bought groceries on Sunday after church, but they decided to change it up this week. Around 10:40, they stepped up to the self-checkout line. And while Arturo scanned all of their merchandise,
49:18 Colin Brown? Patty excused herself to the restroom at the front of the store. However, while she was in there, she heard the horrible sound of gunfire. While we weren't able to figure out exactly what happened with Patty at that moment, whether she stayed in the bathroom or if she ran to safety, we do know that she did survive. However, her husband Arturo did not. He was shot and killed at the self-checkout line. Patty would later describe the impact Arturo made on her life. She said he was "always joking, always laughing", something she will miss dearly.
49:53 Courtney Brown? Now horrifically, there is actually video footage from inside the Walmart that morning. I do not recommend watching it because it is horrific. But in it, shortly after the shooting started, you can see an elderly man walk out of the bathroom towards the front of the store. He clearly had no idea what was going on. And immediately after walking out, the gunman shot him in the back of the head. Now, I don't know who this victim was, but in the footage, you see him drop to the ground, face down, clearly succumbing to his injuries. And the gunman just casually walks by his body and walks towards the first convenience bank located at the front of the building.
50:36 Courtney Brown? The audio clip we are about to play is from the deadly gunfire that took place inside the bank.
50:54 Colin Brown? Survivor Christopher Grant said that he will never forget the sounds that came from the people in the bank. Before he ran to safety, this is what he heard.
51:04 Speaker 10 And then so he walked to the bank, which was right by the restrooms, and just randomly started, I mean, people were praying in Spanish. Por favor, no, no, por favor, no. And he was just, they were on the ground, and he still just shot them in the head. I mean, they were praying in Spanish. I mean, I'm from El Paso, and I know Spanish, and they were praying, please, please, don't shoot me. And he had no remorse for their lives at all.
51:36 Courtney Brown? 61-year-old Gloria Irma Marquez had just stepped up to the bank's ATM when the gunman approached her. Gloria was from Mexico. She was described as quote, "loving, caring, and beautiful." She loved everything bright, including flowers. And she was not a fan of the color black. At the time, Gloria was working for the elderly in El Paso, and her patients app Absolutely loved her. In fact, they would go out of their way to ask for her over other care workers. Now, at the time, Gloria had been living with her partner, John Ogas, for eleven years. When the two met, John had fallen on hard times and was living in a rundown trailer.
52:21 Courtney Brown? But when Gloria entered his life, everything changed. She helped get him back on his feet and into a new home. John said, quote, "She was very protective of the people she loved," end quote. And although they were not married, they often referred to each other as husband and wife. But more than anything in the world, Gloria took pride in being a mother. According to her family, quote, "The kids were everything to her," end quote. She had four daughters and four grandkids. Now, two of her daughters lived in America, but the other two still lived in Mexico. Because of this, Gloria had been separated from one of her daughters for over thirteen years.
53:04 Courtney Brown? But shortly before the shooting, she received the wonderful news that her daughter's visa was received and that the two would finally be reunited. But sadly, she would never get the chance. That morning, Gloria and her partner John had gone to Walmart together. But after entering the store, they split up. Gloria headed to the ATM to withdraw some money from the bank, while John waited for her at the in-store McDonald's. However, seconds later, the gunman entered. Soon after those first shots rang out, John was able to run to safety. Once in the parking lot, he frantically called Gloria over and over again for five whole hours.
53:48 Courtney Brown? He kept calling her because he just couldn't bring himself to believe that she had been killed. But with each unanswered call, he knew deep down that she was gone. And eventually, he got word that Gloria had passed away inside. Her niece would later say, quote, "Gloria was a dedicated mother, grandmother, and friend." End quote. Now, back inside the Walmart, the horrors were still unfolding. One of the bank tellers at the first convenience bank would later say that she would never be the same after this day. Now, she doesn't want to be identified, so we will call her Kim. But Kim was almost nine months pregnant at the time. She remembered that from where she was sitting inside the bank, she could see the cashiers
54:32 Courtney Brown? beginning to stir, but then she heard a sound. She said, quote, "It sounded like something heavy fell, like something fell hard and fast. We all looked around to see what was going on, but couldn't see anything. Never could I have imagined it was a shooting." End quote. The next thing she heard was a customer's piercing scream, "Oh, my God, he's shooting." Kim would later say, quote, "I remember hiding under the desk where I was sitting. Everybody in the teller line, my coworkers, they all hid under the counters. Suddenly, everybody started running towards my manager's office." End quote. But all of these people soon realized a problem.
55:15 Courtney Brown? The manager's office had this huge glass window. If someone wanted in, all they would have to do is shoot through it. So from there, the bank employees decided to go to a nearby vault room, which was much more secure. Kim said, quote, "I started crawling. All I could think that this was a bank robbery and that we were being robbed." End quote. Once in the vault room, the six employees were frantic. Right outside the door, they continued to hear the sounds of the massacre. Gunshots, the clang of bullet casings, and most horrifically, the screams. Kim said that they weren't just screams of fear and pain.
55:57 Courtney Brown? There were also screams of agony from people watching their loved ones die right in front of them, and there was nothing they could do. Inside the vault, Kim later said, quote, "We were just holding hands. We were all crying. One of my coworkers was praying. He asked if it was okay that he prayed out loud. One was quietly calling 911." End quote. They were also still worried that the gunman was coming for them. Kim remembered thinking to herself, quote, "I'm dead. I'm going to die. Me and my baby are going to die," end quote. Kim even said she pried a piece of metal off the door and held it right in front of her pregnant belly, just in case.
56:40 Courtney Brown? She also texted her mom and partner, saying, "I love you all." But there was something else that haunted Kim. While she and her coworkers were crawling over to the vault room, Kim said she briefly looked over her shoulder, and there she saw a 15-year-old boy. Through tears, Kim later said, quote, "The young boy, he was hiding under the desk, but then he ran towards the manager's office. He was banging on the door," end quote. But almost immediately after banging on the door, the 15-year-old was shot dead.
57:14 Colin Brown? That boy was Javier Amir Rodriguez. He was there that morning with his uncle, 23-year-old Octavio Lizarde. Javier, often called Amir by his friends and family, was born and raised in El Paso. He attended Clint Independent School District schools since elementary school, and had recently finished up his freshman year at Horizon High School. Now Javier's family had just moved to a different part of El Paso, which meant he would have to start his sophomore year at a different school. But everyone was confident that he would adjust well. Javier was a good kid. His middle school teacher, Adrian Barrios, described him as someone with positive energy who lit up the room with his bright smile and hair flips. His math teacher, Jose Tobias,
57:59 Colin Brown? stated he was energetic, talkative, and smart. He was also a talented soccer player. He played striker for Horizon High School's Scorpions, and also played on a local club team. His former coach, Juan Ferreira, stated that Javier often told his teammates, "Do your best, stay focused, hone your craft in soccer." The president of his soccer club said, "I remember Javi like it was yesterday. He was a happy boy, always smiling and funny. He was a boy that every coach would like to have on his team. He never missed a practice or a game. He was always the first one on the field, and also last one. He just enjoyed playing the sport." And that was true. Javier was known to arrive at school early just so he could play with his friends.
58:44 Colin Brown? He would also skip lunch to practice with the girls' team. It was his passion through and through.
58:50 Courtney Brown? Now, one of Javier's favorite people was his uncle, Octavio. The two were only eight years apart, so for their entire lives, it felt as if they were more like brothers. Octavio would later say that they would often play video games together on the weekends, and that Javier was his ride or die. On this weekend in particular, Octavio and Javier planned to spend it together. The night before, they had stayed up late playing video games. And on Saturday, Octavio told Javier that he would take him to get a haircut. With the start of his senior year right around the corner, he wanted him to feel confident, especially because he was starting at a new school.
59:32 Courtney Brown? But before the haircut, Octavio needed to run a few errands. They ended up stopping at the Walmart so Octavio could open a bank account and cash a check. Afterwards, he also planned to buy his nephew some school supplies. But they would never have the chance. Because while the two of them were at the first convenience bank, a gunman entered the Walmart and started shooting people at random. Upon hearing the gunfire, Octavio and Javier knew that they were in danger. But being right there at the front of the store, there was nowhere to go. They quickly ran behind the bank's counter, but after realizing they were still in harm's way, they decided to run towards the manager's office.
1:00:17 Courtney Brown? But to their horror, it was locked, and the gunman was walking in their direction. Octavio would later say that he briefly saw the gunman, and next, he saw the gun. Over the next few moments, bullets flew all around them. When the gunfire stopped, Octavio noticed that he had been shot in the leg. But when he looked over at his nephew, 15-year-old Javier Rodriguez, he immediately knew that he was dead. Sadly, Javier would be the youngest victim of the massacre. Later on, when help finally arrived, Octavio was taken to the hospital, and he would eventually make a recovery.
1:00:59 Courtney Brown? But the emotional scars of losing his nephew would stick with him forever. Here is Octavio at a press conference at the hospital where he was being treated. Clearly, he's still in shock by what happened.
1:01:13 Speaker 13 I just feel grateful that I'm alive. He had the chance to kill me, but he didn't.
1:01:20 Speaker 14 I know, because Scott's with me and
1:01:24 Speaker 14 then who could go against me?
1:01:28 Speaker 14 Um, I did lose my nephew right in front of me. I won't put the details, but it was
1:01:37 Speaker 14 horrible image.
1:01:39 Speaker 14 And I hope nobody ever goes through it. I'm in pain. It hurts. Um, but the this, this, this pain will end. The only pain I want to end is the emotional.
1:01:55 Courtney Brown? With all of the chaos in El Paso that day, Octavio and Javier's loved ones had no idea what had happened to either of them. It wouldn't be until the following morning when they learned of Javier's fate. His aunt Elvira later posted to Facebook, quote, "Thank you to everyone who helped us search for my nephew. We found him," end quote. She would later write, quote, "I just don't get why. I know I'll never have answers. I'm so confused, hurt, and mad. May you rest in peace, baby boy. We love you so much," end quote.
1:02:30 Colin Brown? After multiple surgeries, Octavio was released from the hospital. He said that from there, he was trying to focus on healing. But the physical pain wasn't the only thing holding him back. He also experienced some PTSD.
1:02:43 Speaker 14 We go, but I don't feel safe, so I'm always looking around and every little sound that, well, the plate drops or something like, I panic. I don't think I'm gonna get, ever get over it. Especially because he was like my son. I did dream that he came in through the, through that door and he asked me if I wanted to play Xbox. And I was like, I looked at him and he was, and I was like, well, where were you?
1:03:08 Colin Brown? Octavio would eventually make a post about his cousin that read, "I miss you so much, Carnalito. Many things that I do, that I see remind me of you. It's very difficult to be without you and needed so much all these months. I don't do much because everything reminds me of you, as I would like to return to the time to listen to you, to give you a hug, to wish you face to face when I love you how much you mean to me. I only ask God to let me see you once a day, at least in my dreams. I can talk to you, my son." No one will ever know how much you really mean to me. I know that you know and made me happy, but I need you, necesito, to hear your voice and your jokes, your nonsense that always made me laugh. When we played the fights, but if we accidentally hit each other,
1:03:53 Colin Brown? but we had fun, believe me. I tried to guide you, give you the best advice, teach you to be responsible and respectful and achieve. I know that sometimes you feel you weren't perfect, but for me, yes, carnalito, I love you. In another post he wrote, "Five long restless, sleepless, most rough, frustrating, crazy, uncomfortable, most hardest, depressing, etc. Months of my life without you carnalito. I love you so much it runs through my head nonstop. Depression, anxiety, fear of anything I hear or do. Not having you has been so hard I can't live my life. Thoughts tormenting my mind. But you know what? I always have you in my heart. I hear your voice in my head, but how I would love to hear your voice and hug you here on earth. I'll see you very soon, my man.
1:04:36 Colin Brown? I love you more than anything in this dark, worthless earth. Nothing will ever make me happy unless you were here again. I try to stay positive for you, for grandma, for your mama, but it's hard. But I miss you and hope you are with me wherever I go. If you can, I ask for you to visit me in my dreams so I can talk to you and catch up."
1:04:57 Courtney Brown? Inside the Walmart, security footage captured video of a man inside the bank, hiding behind one of the columns. After shooting at people, the gunman spots the man, walks over to him, and shoots him point blank. Again, we don't know who this victim was, but it was obvious that he passed. And from there, the gunman turns around and starts walking towards the cash registers. At that time, people were still trying to run to safety. Some who had been shot were playing dead on the ground. Others were hiding throughout the store. Some of these people would later come forward and say that from their hiding positions, they could see the gunman choose, eerily walking around, looking for more victims.
1:05:43 Courtney Brown? They watched as he callously stepped over dead bodies. Here is one video that was taken from one of these hiding spots.
1:06:10 Colin Brown? One woman at the checkout line was eighty-six-year-old Maria Angie Silva Anglisby. Born on November 3rd, 1932, in Santa Fe, Angie was the matriarch of her large family, and it had been that way for decades. After the birth of her seven children, Angie became a widow at just thirty-eight years old when her husband died from a heart attack. But from that moment on, she did everything in her power to give her kids a good life. She even worked three different jobs to support them. One family member said, "Working numerous jobs at the same time to feed her family, life was hard. Through her hard work, her children all became strong, but extremely caring and compassionate and productive members of our community."
1:06:52 Colin Brown? As Angie got older and her kids grew up, she was so proud of her large family. By 2019, she had twenty-six grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. Her grandson Jacob would later say, "She made the very best red beans and rice and red chili pozole. She always had a hot pot of fresh coffee for her visitors and a quick meal." Angie also loved watching General Hospital on TV, and she loved the Dallas Cowboys. Her son Will worked as a shift manager at a local sports bar, and every night he worked late. Angie would wait for him on the couch. She always wanted to make sure her loved ones were safe. The night before the shooting, Will had returned late, and although he tried to sneak in without
1:07:34 Colin Brown? waking his mother, she woke up and greeted him. He told her that he lost another pair of sunglasses, something that had become a habit, and the two laughed as she jokingly scolded him. Her family said that Angie was a very honest woman. She never beat around the bush. But at the same time, she was very compassionate, and also independent. She had a very strict routine that she followed. At eighty-six years old, she was still driving herself around, even though she had a hard time walking. And every Saturday, she would attend mass at Saint Pius X in El Paso, and then head to Walmart for her weekly shopping trip, which is exactly what she was doing that morning. Shortly before the shooting, she was actually on the phone with her son.
1:08:17 Colin Brown? According to him, he had recently returned from a vacation and Angie was so excited to hear all about his adventures. Neither of them realized that this would be their very last conversation. Because while Angie was checking out, the gunman entered the store and began shooting. According to Angie's family, she had bad legs, so she wouldn't have been able to quickly get away. But Angie did try to duck and hide. However, soon enough, the gunman walked over and shot her. Another family whose lives were changed that day was the family of sixty-three-year-old David Alva Johnson, his wife Kathy, and their granddaughter, nine-year-old Caitlin Rose Melendez. David was born on July tenth, nineteen fifty-six, and he was born and raised in El Paso.
1:09:02 Colin Brown? After graduating high school in nineteen seventy-five, David spent some time in the Army. He also worked as a contractor for Texas Lighting, where everyone said he never took a day off. When David met his wife Kathy, she already had a daughter named Stephanie, but he loved her like his own. And after getting married, they would go on to have three other children, Wayne, Crystal, and Kimberly. David loved his family. He loved to golf, and he was known for his warm personality. His nephew Dominic said, "He smiled with his eyes and always addressed you with a high-pitched, warm welcome." Throughout the years, David enjoyed spending time with his kids and grandchildren. His family said that he often helped them with their homework.
1:09:43 Colin Brown? Pictures show him tossing his grandkids in the air with the biggest smile, or proudly lighting their birthday candles. On the morning of August third, David and his wife Kathy agreed to take their granddaughter Caitlin to Walmart to get her a present. Once Caitlin had picked out her toy, they made their way to the front to check out. Moments after the gunman started his rampage, David's thoughts were with his family. He quickly yelled at them to run, but there was no time. After realizing this, David pushed his wife and granddaughter under the checkout counter as bullets reigned in his direction. David ended up taking the brunt of those bullets, dying to protect his family. And while the gunman continued shooting all around, Kathy and nine-year-old Caitlin had no other choice but to lie there and play dead.
1:10:28 Colin Brown? As they did, bullets continued to hit David, shielding them even in death. His daughter would later write, "As many know, my amazing father pushed my niece and mother out of the way of fire, taking the possible bullets meant for them."
1:10:43 Courtney Brown? Nearby, 24-year-old Andre Pablo Anchondo and his wife, 24-year-old Jordan, were shopping in Walmart with their two-month-old son, Paul. Jordan was born on November 10, 1994. She graduated from Franklin High School in 2013. Shortly after, she gave birth to her first daughter, Skylan. Then a few years after that, she had another daughter named Victoria. According to the people who loved her, Jordan was "the epitome of love and a selfless mother." She loved making family dinners, watching her daughters at cheer practice, and playing with her kids at the park.
1:11:25 Courtney Brown? Her sister, Letta, said Jordan was "someone who would light up your world." But her life seemed to get even brighter when Andre came into the picture. Andre was also a Franklin High School graduate. His brother, Tito, said that he always knew his brother would do big things. When they were little, he would buy candy bars and sell them to the kids at school for profit. He was definitely a go-getter. After high school, he even co-owned Color Master Auto Body Shop with his father, Gilbert. But after a while, he wanted to build a business of his own. So that's when he created Andre House of Granite and Stone, installing granite countertops and renovating kitchens.
1:12:09 Courtney Brown? Now, like any business owner, it wasn't easy. His brother, Tito, said that he had been in a bit of a rut. But all of that would change when he met Jordan. Tito said, "She was his support system." When he met Jordan, it gave him more reason to get on track with his life. He got his life in order. End quote. In 2018, Andre and Jordan got married. And Andre immediately got to work remodeling their first home. Here is Andre's brother, Tito.
1:12:40 Speaker 15 You can ask anybody that was Andre's friend. He was the kindest soul that you can meet. And Jordan, you know, a beautiful, you know, beautiful woman. Helped my brother through everything that, you know, he was having troubles with. Really loved each other, so much so that they started building a home for each other.
1:12:58 Courtney Brown? Andre wanted to make sure the home was perfect, especially because they had a baby. Their son Paul was born in May of 2019, and they were over the moon. Their little family of five was everything they had ever wanted. But soon enough, that would all be taken away. August 3rd, 2019 was supposed to be a beautiful day for the couple. Andre and Jordan had just celebrated their one-year anniversary. Later that evening, they were going to have a housewarming party and anniversary celebration with all of their loved ones. So they planned to stop by Walmart later that morning to pick up a few things. Andre's father Gilbert said that he was on his way to work that day when he stopped at a red light in front of their house.
1:13:42 Courtney Brown? Outside, he saw Andre and Jordan, along with their three children. He was going to honk and wave at them, but the light turned green, so he didn't. But he figured it was all right because he would see them later that day at the family barbecue. However, that wouldn't be the case. After dropping their daughters off at cheerleading practice, Jordan and Andre decided to run to Walmart. With them that morning was their two-month-old son, Paul. The couple browsed the aisles, picking up food and some school supplies for their daughters. But after making their way to the front, they would come face to face with the gunman. Andre was shot in the back and died instantly.
1:14:25 Courtney Brown? As he slumped over, Jordan was terrified. But more than anything, she wanted to protect her baby. She was able to shield baby Paul as bullets flew in their direction. Jordan was shot several times. And like many others, she would lose her life. But luckily, her baby survived. When Jordan dropped to the ground, it's believed she landed on her son's hand and broke several of his fingers. But by some miracle, those were his only injuries. Later on, when people in the store began running to safety, a random man saw baby Paul on the ground. He was lying alongside his dead mother and father, crying, soaked in their blood.
1:15:08 Courtney Brown? The man was able to grab him and run to safety. Later that day, when word got out about the shooting, Andre's brother Tito called him over and over again with no answer. Hours later, he got the call that they needed to identify someone at the hospital. It was his sister-in-law, Jordan. But Andre wasn't there. Because of this, they hoped that maybe he was still alive. However, they later got word that he too was one of the victims. They were devastated. Two-month-old Paul lost both of his parents that day. Their daughters lost their mother and stepfather. Andre's family would later post, quote, "It's official.
1:15:53 Courtney Brown? He's gone. Pray for him and our family. Pray for that evil man who is sick in his mind. We're angry, we're sad. There's disbelief. There are just no words." End quote.
1:16:06 Colin Brown? Later that day, Jordan's cousins Liz and Justin would speak to the media.
1:16:11 Speaker 16 What little we know, we just, with all the chaos and all the things that have been said is that he was pulled. Baby Paul was pulled from her, still had blood. I would imagine, from what we understand, he went into the hospital as...
1:16:27 Speaker 17 John Doe, baby John Doe. The details are very cloudy, but from what we understand, baby Paul was recovered from the crime scene with his mother on top of him. And we got word that Andre had jumped in front of his wife to protect his wife and son throughout the whole circumstance. So, it's very devastating. His mother and the son was taken to the hospital, thankfully.
1:16:57 Speaker 16 And we lost Jordan there.
1:16:59 Speaker 17 We lost Jordan yesterday, and Andre as well.
1:17:03 Speaker 16 They were the light. They were definitely a contribution to this world. They will be missed. Jordan would talk to anybody and everybody. She was every bit of a self-sacrificing mother. And obviously Andre, an amazing father. She was the light of our life. She was the jokester. She was the contagious laugh, a smile that could light up the room. And the world can know that two amazing humans were stripped from us. And their babies are left now parentless. But we want, we will do everything in our power to, as a family, to unite behind them and continue to remind them of the amazing parents that they had.
1:17:46 Speaker 16 There's not enough words to... I think the ultimate sacrifice a parent can show of love is obviously shielding your children, which you shouldn't be doing in a Walmart when you're shopping for school supplies.
1:18:03 Colin Brown? Here's Jordan's sister, Ashley Salazar.
1:18:06 Speaker 18 You think about the past and you think about... You think about them dying. It's just really hard because you know they were good people. And you don't think good people like that die.
1:18:21 Colin Brown? Within just three minutes, the gunman had murdered 23 people inside of that Walmart in El Paso, Texas. But just as quickly as he came in, he was gone. When he couldn't find any more victims, he decided to walk out back into the parking lot. There, his victims were still sprawled out on the pavement. Many were receiving aid from bystanders. Upon seeing him, the people in the parking lot were terrified. One woman named Angela Hubbard even played dead.
1:18:50 Speaker 19 I just kept saying to myself, "Hail Mary, full of grace," over and over. Then I see Patrick Crucius coming out of the middle exit. I say to myself, "Oh, God, I see the shooter." He's coming out of the Walmart. He was walking out of the middle entrance exit door with the AK-style rifle pointed straight up.
1:19:30 Speaker 19 My heart sank because I thought, "That's it. My life is over. I'm going to be murdered and I can't escape." Patrick Crucius was walking with speed, confidence, and determination as he walked out of the Walmart that morning. "I saw you." He didn't look scared or nervous to me. Patrick Crucius, I fooled you. I tricked you.
1:20:14 Speaker 19 I was alive playing dead. I could have been your 24th victim. You could have shot and murdered me. There I was on the ground, playing dead and praying. I'm one of the survivors that got away. I hope the thought that I survived upsets you. I survived. I'm here.
1:20:51 Colin Brown? But sadly, the gunman would take the life of one more victim. As he was walking out of Walmart, he lifted his gun once more and fired at a passing vehicle. Seventy-seven-year-old Juan de Dios Velazquez was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, but he and his wife Estela eventually moved to Ciudad Juarez. Together, the couple would go on to have six children, and from there, 15 grandchildren. They spent the majority of their lives in Mexico, but as Juan grew older, he had dreams of retiring somewhere safer than his hometown. So eventually, he and his wife Estela decided to settle down in El Paso. It was the perfect location for them, as they would still be close to their friends and family in Mexico.
1:21:34 Colin Brown? Juan and Estela had just made the move about six months prior, and they were loving it. Every Saturday, they would go to the Walmart in town to buy groceries for the week. It was a part of their routine, but this Saturday would end much differently than the others.
1:21:50 Courtney Brown? Juan had just pulled into the parking lot that morning with his wife Estela in the passenger seat. It's unclear if they heard those first shots ring out. But as they drove past, the gunman spotted them, and he quickly lifted his gun, and he fired. Juan quickly turned towards his wife, using his body to shield her as bullets came flying towards them. When the gunfire stopped, they had both been shot. Juan had a gunshot wound to his back, and Estela was shot in the stomach. Over the next few minutes, the couple would bleed from their wounds, waiting for help to arrive. And during that time, they decided to call the people they love most in the world, their children.
1:22:34 Courtney Brown? While speaking on the phone with their daughter, they cried, telling her that they had been shot and that it hurt. But all she could do in that moment was tell them to stay calm and breathe. Sadly, this would be the very last conversation she would ever have with her father. By the time paramedics arrived, Juan was still alive. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he underwent three operations, but unfortunately, he would pass away days later on Monday, August 5th. His wife Estela would luckily make a full recovery. Now after walking out of the store, it seemed as if the gunman was no longer focused on killing.
1:23:17 Courtney Brown? Instead, he was focused on getting away. He quickly ran to his vehicle and peeled out of the parking lot. The police ended up arriving at the Walmart six minutes after the shooting started, but by that point, the gunman was already gone. While a group of officers went to find him, another group went inside the Walmart to assess the damage, and it was way worse than anyone expected. Out in the parking lot were several victims already deceased, their blood and brain matter staining the earth beneath them. The officers then walked through the automatic doors leading into Walmart. The air was still thick with the ominous cloud of gunsmoke.
1:23:59 Courtney Brown? There were shoes on the ground, bullet casings, cellphones, groceries, carts scattered throughout the aisles, and of course, lots and lots of blood. But most notable of all were the dozens of bodies. Every few feet, there was a body. Sometimes multiple piled up alongside each other. A lot of the victims were older people. Most of them were Hispanic. And sadly, there were also living relatives of those victims, weeping as they held their deceased loved one. Many of those survivors had injuries of their own. When the police announced their presence within the store, survivors slowly started coming out of their hiding spots.
1:24:44 Courtney Brown? But even with the officers there, these people had looks of fear on their faces. And seeing the carnage all around them only made it worse.
1:24:56 Courtney Brown? Back inside the vault room within the bank, six employees were still hiding, including that woman Kim that we mentioned earlier. Kim was on the phone with her partner Alex at the time. She didn't know that the shooter left the building, and she was in the middle of telling him her goodbyes. But then she heard the sound of police outside the door. Upon opening that door, the officers immediately warned the workers that they might want to close their eyes, as the scene outside was horrific. But Kim kept them open. As she made her way out, she saw a body on the floor and a pool of blood. It was 15-year-old Javier. His uncle Octavio was standing over him, screaming in agony.
1:25:41 Courtney Brown? Just beyond that, Kim saw the Enchando family who we just mentioned. She would later say that she remembered seeing them shortly before the shots rang out. She recalled looking at baby Paul in his little carrier. At the time, Kim thought to herself that they seemed to have a lot in common. She and Jordan were both young moms who were working to give their kids a good life. Except now, as she walked out of the vault room, Kim saw that Jordan was dead, as was her husband lying next to her. Two parents wiped out in an instant.
1:26:19 Courtney Brown? Now Kim would end up giving birth to her baby two weeks after this, but things were hard. She said that after giving birth, she couldn't even look at those baby chest carriers. All she could think of when she saw them was Jordan, who was wearing one that day. And according to Kim, the trauma from this massacre was so severe, she believes it had an effect on her baby in utero. She said that after his birth, her son was easily frightened. He suffered from night terrors and long uncontrollable crying spells. Doctors have since told Kim that her baby's symptoms are likely from the unbelievable amount of trauma she faced that day.
1:27:01 Courtney Brown? Kim later said of her son, quote, "He was also a victim, and he's still suffering. He's going to carry this forever too."
1:27:09 Colin Brown? Soon enough, the dozens of people who were injured in the attack were removed from the building and brought to the hospital for treatment. Some of those victims would go on to lose their lives. But of the people who were left inside the Walmart, they were dead on arrival. Like any mass shooting, authorities went to work immediately identifying those victims. Meanwhile, the entire world was learning about the horrific mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.
1:27:35 Courtney Brown? And like with any mass shooting, our hearts were broken. The world felt incredibly heavy. It's impossible to wrap your head around these tragedies. How can someone walk into a room and do something like that? How can you look at these innocent people in the face, see the fear in their eyes, and decide to violently take their life? You know, in a lot of our mass shooting episodes, I say that the killer indiscriminately shot at people in the room. Because in a lot of those cases, they don't care who their victims are. They don't care if they're old or young, if they're wealthy or poor, or if they have children and families who love them.
1:28:17 Courtney Brown? They simply want to kill as many people as possible to top the last mass shooter. But that is not the case for today's story. While this shooter did want to maximize casualties, he was not shooting indiscriminately. In fact, he was there that day in the city of El Paso strictly because he wanted to kill Hispanics. As the facts of this case spread around the country, many people were horrified to know that this wasn't a random act of violence. It was a hate crime.
1:28:51 Colin Brown? So join us next week for the final part of this series. In it, we will talk about the shooter's arrests, the survivors, the community, the national response, and finally, the trial. For today's episode, we will be making a donation to the El Paso Victims Relief Fund, who support victims and survivors that were directly impacted by the August 3rd mass shooting. Hey, everybody. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of Murder in America. I know that this was an incredibly hard episode to get through and a really sad episode. These stories, they do not get any less horrific the more that we cover them. Courtney and I can advocate for change, all that we can here on the podcast,
1:29:36 Colin Brown? but it's just a sad reality of living in America that until something changes, these things will just continue to happen. If you like what we do here and you support the work that we do here on Murder in America, please consider joining us on Patreon. On Patreon, you can get early ad-free access to episodes of our show. So if you don't like the ads, consider joining us on Patreon. And for some of the higher tiers, you can get access to bonus episodes that are posted every month. We already have over 120, 125, I don't even know how many exactly, bonus episodes of the show on our Patreon. So if you've never signed up and you sign up today, you could immediately get access to all of those episodes. If you want to see photos from the cases that we cover here on the show,
1:30:21 Colin Brown? please follow us on Instagram at Murder in America. And as always, please leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you listen to the show. Those reviews are very important and they help us so much. Anyways, y'all, thank you for joining us today. We appreciate it so much. We will see you next week for part three, and I'll catch y'all on the next one.
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1:31:17 Speaker 01 Now streaming on Paramount+. I'm Dexter Morgan. I've been killing killers for half my life. It gets to you. You're having a midlife crisis. I'm not ready for this. He's back. I'm older. I'm wiser. And sharper than ever. Things are gonna get messy. But if I can't believe in myself, I can't believe in anything. Dexter Resurrection. New season now streaming on the Paramount+ Premium Plan.
1:31:48 Speaker 20 It's getting chilly outside. But you know what that means?
1:31:54 Speaker 20 It's time to cozy up with Panera Bread. Let's get toasty, cheesy. Oh, hello, broccoli cheddar soup in a bread bowl. How about melty? Okay, Chipotle Chicken Ovo Melt. It's dipping bread and soupy goodness season. Oh, yeah, we are so back. It's Panera season. Order now.
Previous EP. 217 - TEXAS: The El Paso Walmart Shooting (Pt. 1) Next EP. 219 - TEXAS: The El Paso Walmart Shooting (Pt. 3) Page updated November 1, 2026 · transcript and summary are machine-generated