(The memorial locals set up in front of the Cielo Vista Walmart in El Paso, Texas. (Photo: Antonio Villaseñor-Baca/YR Media). )
Two days after one of the most gruesome shootings in modern American history left 22 dead and dozens injured at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, vigils took place throughout the city on Monday.
YR Media’s Antonio Villaseñor-Baca is a student at the University of Texas, El Paso and was born and raised in the city. He attended three vigils last night and said being there felt “surreal yet comforting and familiar.”
Villaseñor-Baca described his hometown as “one big happy family.” He sensed that feeling of community at the vigil at Armijo Park, in downtown El Paso.
The vigil began with a live performance by the dance group Tlaneztica Danza Azteca followed by a silent procession to Casa Carmelita, a community collective run by local organizers. Some of those who gathered for the vigil were in tears, others stoic — and there were children there, too. “Seeing kids running around and everybody focused and mingling, it was a step towards normalcy, ” said Villaseñor-Baca.
The Vigil in Armijo Park
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- A vigil in Armijo Park on August 5 in downtown El Paso, Texas features prayer and dance from Aztec culture. (Photo: Antonio Villaseñor-Baca/YR Media)
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- The dance was followed by a silent procession back to Casa Carmelita, where attendees talked about their grieving. (Photo: Antonio Villaseñor-Baca/YR Media)
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- Some dancers carried signs to condemn the racism behind the shooting. (Photo: Antonio Villaseñor-Baca/YR Media)
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- The group Tlaneztica Danza Azteca performs at the vigil hosted by Casa Carmelita, an El Paso collective that provides care for migrants. (Photo: Antonio Villaseñor-Baca/YR Media)
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- The University of Texas at El Paso’s electronic billboard over Interstate 10 and the border between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. It says #ElPasoStrong. (Photo: Antonio Villaseñor-Baca/YR Media)