Department of Justice

El Paso Walmart Unveils Plans for Permanent Memorial for Shooting Victims

The memorial will be built on the south side of the store's parking lot

Walmart has unveiled its plans for a permanent memorial to honor the 22 victims shot inside the El Paso store on Aug. 3, 2019.

The memorial's centerpiece will be a 30-foot tall Grand Candela that will be made up of 22 individual perforated aluminum arcs that are grouped together into one piece.

The candela will symbolize unity and emanate light into the sky.

The memorial will be built on the south side of the store's parking lot and will be enclosed by a decorative metal fence and landscaped with native plants.

“We are grateful to be part of such an incredible community that when faced with tragedy has responded with unity, compassion and love,” said Todd Peterson, Walmart vice president and regional general manager.

The company has already started work on the foundation needed to support the 30-foot tall structure. Construction on the memorial is expected to take four-six weeks.

Walmart also announced that the store where the shooting happened will reopen to the public on Thursday November 14.

The 21-year-old man charged with capital murder in the shooting pleaded not guilty earlier this month during a brief initial hearing.

Police have said Patrick Crusius of Dallas confessed to the Aug. 3 mass shooting and that he targeted Mexicans. Some two-dozen people survived the attack with injuries, and two of them remain in the hospital, hospital officials said.

Local prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty. Federal authorities are weighing capital murder and hate crime charges. The Department of Justice has called the shooting an act of domestic terrorism.

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