City of El Paso unveils new Aug. 3 memorial on 5th anniversary of Walmart mass shooting

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The City of El Paso unveiled it's new August 3rd memorial on Saturday to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the racially-motivated mass shooting that took the lives of 23 people at the Cielo Vista Walmart in 2019. A remembrance and public art unveiling ceremony was held at at Jim Crouch park, recently renamed from Ponder Park, Saturday morning. The event included remarks by the El Paso Chief of Police Peter Pacillas, Mayor Oscar Leeser, and a special recognition by Fort Bliss with a flyover of two Blackhawk helicopters.

"This is something for all of El Paso and the families, but really so we can continue to respect and honor the 23 people that lost their lives in an act of violence," Mayor Leeser said. "In an act of terror that really is hard to define, to explain why somebody would drive 11 hours to do what they did to our community."

One of the presenters at the ceremony was Gregory Jackson, Deputy Director for the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and special assistant to President Joe Biden. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris released statements ahead of the 5th anniversary recognizing the El Paso community for coming together in the face of tragedy. Jackson said he was there on Saturday to make sure that was presented directly to the community.

"They want us to make sure we share that directly with the families," Jackson said, "and with those impacted and honor, frankly, the courage and the strength of this community in wake of something so hateful and so tragic."

The public art installation, titled "August 3rd Memorial", had been in the works since at least 2022 with the City of El Paso. It's a spiritual successor to the community memorials that spontaneously came together just a few hundred yards away, next to the Walmart in the immediate aftermath of the attack. As the store and road reopened, parts of the temporary memorial were moved to the park, now culminating in the permanent installation at 7500 W H Burges Dr. The creator of the monument says the design is meant to provide a place of peace, healing - and reclaiming power for a community still affected years later.

"So the inspiration for this piece was about restoring power to the victims of August 3rd," artist Albert 'Tino' Ortega said. "And to me, a crown was always a symbol of power. So it only made sense to have a design that kind of encompassed that feeling in the restoration of trying to restore power to these individuals."

Ortega says he took inspiration from the two existing memorials - the Gran Candela and the Healing Garden - and the interaction of light, geometry, and nature.

"I took inspiration from those pieces and wanted people to be able to come and be at peace," Ortega said. "And, you know, find this like a very tranquil spot."

The central feature of the city's memorial is seven granite pillars laid out in a circle, bearing inscriptions of the victims’ names. The pillars sit atop a mandala, and 23 lights shine in honor of the victims, surrounded by plants and greenery.

"I know we're in a busy intersection, and that's why I'm hoping when the trees do become of a more mature nature," Ortega said, "it cuts down on some of that, on some of that noise and just makes a good spot for reflection and just, you know, positivity."

The link between the community's reaction to come together near the park after the tragedy and the memorial today is an important through line for the city's decision to build the permanent public art piece.

"This was the park that was closest to the site of the tragedy and became, very quickly, a place of reunion for the victims families, first responders, for media to be able to come together," said Ben Fyffe, Managing Director of Cultural Affairs & Recreation for the city. "To find out what was a very scary developing story that day. I think a lot of people can probably remember there were a lot of rumors. People were seeking, what verified news they could get."

Fyffe says that the makeshift community memorial had to be shifted for safety concerns in the long run. The street where the community placed their tributes to the victims behind the Walmart became active again once the store reopened. The park evolved in use in the aftermath from a gathering point, to a vigil site, to the relocated - and now permanent memorial.

"Ponder Park, now renamed Crouch Park, was the site of all of that," Fyffe said. "And so it became, for us, a very natural fit for the memorial."

The now-unveiled site will be open year-round and will be the focus of the city's commemorations into the future.

"I think every August 3rd, as we come together to remember those events, and I think, most importantly, remember that that sense of unity that we had immediately in the aftermath, that this will be the site to commemorate that on an annual basis," Fyffe said."

For the artist, he hopes people come away with a feeling of positivity and hope when they visit.

"I try my best to use all my energy for positivity, and I just want that to be reflected in this piece," Ortega said. "But, you know, artwork is subjective and people are going to take what for what they want from it. But I just hope it's from a message of positivity."