Sound Bath at El Paso Memorial: Drowning out the Echoes of Gunshots

Arturo Benavides, an army veteran and retired bus driver, Elsa Mendoza Márquez, an elementary school principal, and Javier Rodriguez, a high school student, were among the 23 people tragically killed during a shooting perpetrated by a white nationalist at a Walmart near Cielo Vista Mall.

According to El Paso Matters, to remember the fourth anniversary of this devastating event, El Paso has organized numerous activities to pay tribute to those who lost their lives.

The program includes a parade featuring crosses for each victim, the construction of a communal altar, musical performances, and community debates focusing on hate crimes, firearms misuse, and anti-immigrant sentiment.

A memorial march is being arranged by the Border Network for Human Rights, incorporating a procession bearing 23 crosses and a dove release ceremony.

This commemoration can be watched live on their Facebook page.

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Additionally, a bell-ringing ceremony at the Crime Victims Memorial Park will be led by the city's mayor, council, and the Mexican consul in El Paso.

El Paso County and United Way are teaming up to host a program at the El Paso Community Healing Garden National Memorial.

This event comprises a sound bath, yoga, meditation, and a musical performance by El Paso Pro Musica, culminating in a light beam ceremony and the reading of the victims' names.

Additional events include an art therapy session, a communal blood donation drive, the creation of a public altar at the El Paso Museum of Art, a watercolor painting event at Judge Marquez Library, and an art tribute at the Armijo Branch Library.

The city also encourages citizens to light their homes with orange lights as a sign of respect for the victims.

Finally, the El Paso Museum of History will exhibit a display in memory of the incident, and Brave Books is organizing a Q&A session with anthropologist Gilberto Rosas about the shooting.