Trish LongEl Paso Times
Here are the events before, during and after a mass shooting Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019, at a Walmart near Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, which claimed 23 lives.
A 21-year-old from a Dallas suburb drove for up to 11 hours to El Paso armed with an AK-47rifle he used in the attack, police said. The shooter, a white supremacist, targeted Mexicans shopping at one of the busiest grocery stores in the Borderland.
El Paso Shooting: A timeline of tragedy
The shooter spent hours traveling by car to El Paso, carrying out the shooting in just minutes.
Friday, Aug. 9: 'I'm the shooter'
An arrest warrant affidavitstates the man accused of carrying out the deadly mass shooting confessed to officers while he was surrendering and later saidhe had been targeting Mexicans.
Tuesday, Aug. 13: Families receive assistance
Families affected by the shootingbegan receiving financial assistancecollected byThe Paso del Norte Foundation and El Paso Community Foundation.
Wednesday, Aug. 14: Investigation completed
El Paso Police Department officers and FBI El Paso Division agents complete the Walmart shooting investigation andturn the crime scene overto company officials.
Gov. Greg Abbott formsa statewideDomestic Terrorism Task Forcein an effort to prevent a repeat of the hate-inspired mass killings in El Paso.
The City hosts acommunity memorial serviceat Southwest University Park in Downtown El Paso. Nearly 5,000 residents attend.
Walmart Store Manager Describes the Scene at Walmart Saturday Morning (6:31)
Thursday, Aug. 15: Football game canceled
Antonio Basco, who has no family in the area,invites all El Pasoansto attend the funeral of his wife Margie Reckard.
Plano ISD cancelsthe upcoming football game against El Paso's Eastwood High School for security reasons.
Restaurateur, author and TV personality Chef Aarón Sánchez, an El Paso native, announces he will join the El Paso Community Foundation in afundraising night of unityon Aug. 24.
ComedianGeorge Lopez and actor Edward James Olmosvisit El Paso shooting survivorsat University Medical Center.
Friday, Aug. 16: Community attends Reckard funeral
Plano ISD superintendent Sara Bonser announces theEastwood Troopers and Plano High Schoolfootball teams will play after all.
SingerVikki Carr, who was born in El Paso, announces she will return to the borderland Aug. 25th for a concert benefiting the victims of the Walmart shooting.
During a prayer service forMargie Reckardat La Paz Faith Center inCentral El Paso, about 500 people packed church and about triple that number were outside.Flowers for Reckardcame from all over the world.
Monday, Aug. 19: Suspect on suicide watch
The man charged in the El Paso Walmart mass shooting is onsuicide watch, placed under close guard on the recommendation of medical staff at the county jail.
Gov. Greg Abbott announcesa commission that will look at the rise of extremist groupsand hateful ideologiesand how to"keep guns out of the hands of deranged individuals."
Wednesday, Aug. 21: Walmart to reopen
Walmartofficialsdecideto reopen the Cielo Vista Walmartstoreafter the interior is renovated.Walmart also plans to adda memorial for the shooting victims at the store site.
Thursday, Aug. 22: Safety roundtables held
The firstTexas Safety Commissionroundtable is held in Austin. Thesecond roundtableis held Aug. 28 in El Paso.
Thursday, Aug. 29: Weapon bought from Romania
The Texas Tribune reportsthe El Paso shootertold authorities that he bought the semi-automatic WASR-10 used in the shootingfrom Romania and had it sent to a retail gun dealer near his home in Allen, Texas.
Wednesday, Aug. 30: Victims sue Walmart
Jessica and Guillermo Garcia, who were both severely injured in the Aug. 3 mass shooting, file a lawsuit against Walmart in El Paso County district court.The lawsuit, which is not asking for monetary compensation, is seeking to get answers as to why Walmart did not have measures in place to prevent the shooting.
Sunday,Sept. 1: Khalid raises $500,000
Khalid's ““A Night for Suncity CQ with Khalid and Friends”” which sold out within minutes of tickets being released raises$500,000. The moneywill go into aneducation fundfor the victims of the El Paso mass shooting and their families.
Wednesday, Sept. 4: Attorney appointed
A high-profile Denver civil-rightslawyer, David Lane, is appointed by the El Paso federal court to represent the accused Walmart shooter even though no federal indictment against the manhas yet to befiled.
Thursday, Sept. 5: Plano defeats Eastwood
Gov. Greg Abbott issueseight executive ordersseeking to keep firearms out the hands of people who pose a threat to public safety.
Plano High School defeats EastwoodHigh School 43-28 at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco.
Eastwood vs. Plano More Than Just a Football Game
Thursday, Sept. 12: Capital murder indictment
Anindictment for capital murderwas officially handed up by a grand jury against the man accused of fatally shooting 22 people at an East El Paso Walmart.
Wednesday, Sept. 25: Judge recuses herself
The shooter'scase was transferredto Judge Sam Medrano of the 409th District Court after Judge Angie Juarez Barill recused herself fromthe capital murder caseafter she found out she knew one of the 22 killed.
Thursday, Oct. 10: Suspect pleads not guilty
El Paso Walmart mass shooting suspectpleads not guiltyin court,the first time he has made a public appearance and spoken publicly since his arrest.
Tuesday, Oct. 15: Benavides honored
El Paso City Council unanimously supportsnaming anEast Side Sun Metro transfer centerafter shooting victim and retired Sun Metro employee Arturo Benavides.
Tuesday, Oct. 29: Family sues suspected shooter
The family of Angelina Englisbeefilea lawsuitagainst the suspected shooter,his familyand the websitewhere he isbelieved to have posted a racist, hate-filled manifesto.
Thursday, Nov. 7: Defense not ready
The accused shooter'defense teaminformsthe judge that given the massive amount of evidence to reviewin the capital murder case, they are nowhere near ready.
Thursday, Nov. 14:'These people need to go on'
Walmart reopensthree months after mass shooting.An estimated 1,000 shoppers of all ages, many senior citizens, entered the store by 10:30 a.m. A steady stream of shoppers continued to enter the store through the late morning and early afternoon.
Saturday, Nov. 23: Grand Candela
"Grand Candela,"the memorial for mass shooting victims, is unveiled at inthe south part of the Walmart parking lot at7101 Gateway West Blvd.
2020
Wednesday, Jan. 22: Austin honors fallen Panther
Austin High School students honoredMaribelHernández Loya, a Panther alumna killed in the Aug. 3, 2019, shooting, while also celebrating their school's commitment to diversity in a memorial service.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Mystery hero identified
Lazaro Ponceis confirmed to be the Walmart mystery hero. In a series of telephone calls and an interview in Memphis, Tennessee, he told the El Paso Times that he was the previously unidentified mystery manseen on video running out with a baby atthe Cielo Vista Walmart store.
Homeless man confirmed to be mystery hero in Walmart shooting
Thursday, Feb. 6: 90 federal charges, 45 hate crimes
A federal grand juryin El Pasohanded up90 federal charges, including 45 hate crimes against theaccused shooter.
Wednesday, Feb. 12: Federal court
The accused shootermade hisfirst appearance in federal court. While hedid not enter a plea during the court hearing, court documents show that he signed a waiver pleading not guilty.
Saturday, April 25: Death toll is now 23
Guillermo "Memo" Garciadies after beinghospitalized at Del Sol Medical Center for nearly nine months after being shot on Aug. 3.The death toll is now 23 people.
Saturday, May 23: Youngest survivor turns 1 year old:
Paul Anchondo, the youngest survivor of the Walmart shooting, celebrates his first birthday with a drive-by parade. He was left orphaned when both his parents, Jordan and Andre Anchodo, were vicrims in the Aug. 3rd shooting.
Thursday, June 25: Suspect reindicted
Accused El Paso Walmartshooter is reindictedafter death of 23rd victim.
Monday, July 1: Healing Garden planned
El Paso County Commissioners Court reveal plans for aHealing Gardenhonoringthe 23 victims of the Walmart shooting. The garden,which will include a memorial wall, should be ready forthe first-year anniversary of the devastating attack.
Thursday, July 9: New federal charges
New federal chargesare filed against the accused Walmart shooter.A federal grand juryhanded up a superseding indictment adding new hate crime and firearm charges. The new charges come after the death in April of the last hospitalized Walmart victim,Guillermo "Memo" Garcia.
Monday, July 13: Mental health evaluation
Defense lawyers saythey need more timeto evaluate thealleged Walmart mass shooter's mental health issues.The lawyers askU.S. District CourtJudge David C.Guaderramato extend the deadline to give defense enough time to do a thorough review of all evidence to decide if the death penalty can legally beallowed.
Tuesday, July 21:$11.8M El Paso mass shooting fund makes last payouts
The Times reports that the last two payoutsfrom the$11.8 million El Paso Walmart shooting victims' fundwere recently authorized, completing the fund's disbursem*ntsalmost a year after the Aug. 3 mass shooting.
Thursday, July 23: Delay in trial would be 'miscarriage of justice'
U.S. Attorney’s Office officials argued that they have every right to continue with their process on deciding if they willseek the death penaltyagainst the manwho allegedly killed 23 people at an El Paso Walmart. The accused shooter waived his appearance and entered a plea of not guilty, according to court documents. Hepreviously pleaded notguiltyto the last indictment against him in October.
Tuesday, August 4: 'Healing garden' dedicated
Survivors and the families of the 23 people killed by an alleged white supremacist on Aug. 3, 2019, gathered Sunday at El Paso's new "healing garden" at Ascarate Park.
Sunday, September 13: Lawsuit dropped against shooter, family, 8chan
The family of one of the victims dropped their civil lawsuit against the suspect and his family, although they left the door open for it to be refiled.
2021
Thursday, August 5: Funds allocated to victims
More than $14 million in donations were raised for those affected by the shooting, with most of that money raised by two El Paso foundations.
Monday, August 16: Antonio Basco, husband of El Paso Walmart shooting victim, dies
Antonio Basco was married for 22 years to his wife Margie Kay Reckard, one of the 23 victims of the El Paso shooting.
2022
Friday, February 18: Federal judge postpones setting date in Walmart shooting trial
U.S. prosecutors want the trial for the accused shooter to begin in June 2023. Defense attorneys are asking for a date no sooner than March 2025. U.S. District Court Judge David C. Guarderrama postponed setting the date.
Wednesday, August 3: 'They will never be forgotten'
City officials honored those lost to the violence of Aug. 3, 2019, and the families still paying the emotional toll three years later.
Friday, September 23: DA's Office alleges deal between defense, judge to prevent prosecution in Walmart shooting
A notice of potential evidence filed by the El Paso District Attorney's Office alleges that 409th District Court Judge Sam Medrano and defense attorney Joe Spencer "engaged in an agreement to prevent the prosecution of the Walmart mass shooting case."
Tuesday, September 27: State judge denies DA motion to recuse judge
A state judge denied the El Paso District Attorney's motion to recuse Judge Sam Medrano in the death penalty case against the alleged Walmart shooter.
Sunday, December 4: Gov. Abbott accepts the resignation of El Paso DA
Embattled El Paso District Attorney Yvonne Rosales resigns. Rosales says that effective immediately, her first assistant, Salah George Al-Hanna, will assume all duties and responsibilities as acting district attorney.
2023
Tuesday, January 3: Healing Garden now a national memorial
Wednesday, January 18: Feds won't seek death for Walmart shooter
Federal prosecutors said they will not seek the death penalty in their case against the defendant in the 2019 Walmart mass shooting that killed 23 people.
Thursday, February 9: Walmart shooter pleads guilty to federal charges
It took 1,285 days, but victims, their families and the Borderland community finally received some justice as the gunman who killed 23 people during a mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart pleaded guilty.
Saturday, July 8: Gunman to spend rest of life in prison
The Walmart shooter was sentenced to life in prison on each of 90 federal charges he pleaded guilty to in February.
Thursday, July 13: Walmart mass shooter in state custody
The Walmart mass shooting is now in state custody and remains in El Paso as he awaits a state trial in connection with the attack.
Tuesday, September 5: Walmart mass shooter ordered to pay $5 million in restitution
The restitution amount was agreed on by both defense attorneys and federal prosecutors, a joint motion filed by both sides states. U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama approved the motion.
Sunday, October 1: El Paso DA hiring more staff for Walmart mass shooting case
The El Paso District Attorney Office is borrowing more than $67,000 in county general funds to hire more staff to help dig through thousands of pieces of evidence in the Walmart mass shooting case as the cost of the capital murder trial is expected to exceed $2 million.
