August 3, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 137 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Page S4655]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                One-Year Anniversary of El Paso Shooting

  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, 1 year ago, a gunman stormed into an El 
Paso Walmart and opened fire. There were 46 people shot; 23, 
tragically, died; and the devastation in this tight-knit community was 
beyond imagination. The heartbreak and confusion quickly turned to rage 
when we learned that this out-of-town shooter was a white supremacist 
whose crime could only be described as domestic terrorism.
  As my good friend El Paso Mayor Dee Margo has said many times over 
the last year, we will not let this evil define us. He wrote in an op-
ed this weekend: ``El Paso will not be known for tragedy but for our 
strength and grace in the midst of tragedy.''
  That strength comes to mind when I reflect on this terrible 
anniversary. When I visited El Paso the day after the shooting, I saw 
the makeshift memorial that was created to honor those who died. On 
that first day, the collection of photos, flowers, and mementos was 
relatively small--maybe just a few feet wide--but by the time I came 
back 3 days later, it had grown to over half a mile. This massive 
memorial, the long line of folks waiting to donate blood, the generous 
donations made to support the victims and their families, these were 
the real reminders of the power and resilience of the El Paso 
community.
  As we remember this anniversary amidst a pandemic, there will not be 
groups of strangers hugging, crying, or holding hands like I witnessed 
in the days following the shooting. Instead, we will have socially 
distanced memorials, like the vigil held yesterday, that will allow El 
Pasoans once again to prove that hate will not win.
  Together, we will remember the 23 lives which were lost 1 year ago, 
as well as those who were wounded, and we stand in solidarity with El 
Paso, a border community that has looked hate in the eye and 
unequivocally chosen strength, grace, and love for one another.