El Paso, Texas — The Walmart in El Paso, TX opened its doors this week, three months after the mass shooting that took the lives of 22 people.
Customers were greeted with cheers and welcomed by employees. Outside the store, still under construction is a 30-foot Grand Candela that Walmart added to remember and honor the victims of the tragedy.
This store symbolizes more than just a big chain store. It's where people from both sides of the border come to shop. The Walmart is located in the east-central part of El Paso, TX, just 10 minutes from the U.S-Mexico Border.
For many shoppers, crossing the sliding doors for the first time in three months came with mixed feelings. Some felt normal to be back at Walmart, while others entered with trepidation and anxiety.
“It’s very emotional to walk in but I’m happy that they opened it,” said Fabiola Rodriguez as she pushed a shopping cart with her son in it. “It’s kind of scary to walk in there because I have my little one with me but it’s fine. We’re fine.”
But for other shoppers like Luis Cortez, coming to this Walmart is a sign of resilience. “It’s business as usual. It’s not the first tragedy that’s happened, and America always finds a way to keep on pushing.”
[gallery ids="62325,62324,62323"]