Washington, DC — Sunday, August 3rd, marks the sixth anniversary of the mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart, when a white nationalist motivated by fear of a Hispanic “invasion” of Texas killed 23 people and wounded dozens more. Ahead of the anniversary, Mario Carrillo, El Paso native, current resident, and Campaigns Director at America’s Voice, shared the following statement:
“August 3rd is a day El Paso will never forget. Six years ago, a man radicalized by white nationalist rhetoric drove across Texas to target our community because of who we are—immigrants, Latinos, families like mine.
He believed in a conspiracy about a ‘Hispanic invasion’, a lie he didn’t invent, but one pushed by elected officials, far-right media, and even a president who spoke of immigrants as ‘poison’ and an ‘infestation.’
This rhetoric is dangerous. And six years later, it hasn’t gone away. Instead, it’s been mainstreamed further and has even informed the policy and law of my home state and this entire nation. Unfortunately, we’re seeing the hate that fueled the El Paso massacre become embedded in the law.
We honor the victims not only by remembering them, but by naming what led to their deaths and holding accountable those who continue to use the same dangerous words. El Paso will always stand for dignity, compassion, and truth. We won’t stay silent.”
For further context, read Mario Carrillo’s recent op-ed in El Paso Matters:
“El Paso’s mass shooting is proof of the impact of words. Trump and Republicans don’t care”
