Man Who Built Crosses At Mass Shooting Sites Has Passed Away

Greg Zanis, the man who built crosses and put them at mass shooting sites across the United States, has sadly passed away. Greg Zanis made a name for himself as the Illinois man who spent over two decades driving across the country putting up memorials through Cross for Losses. Zanis began putting up the crosses in 1996 after his father-in-law was shot and killed. In total, Zanis put up over 27,000 crosses across the country. While we knew of his kindness and compassion during a community's time of need, we saw it first-hand when he traveled to El Paso after the Walmart shooting in August. Zanis said he had a breaking point when he was here in the Sun City putting up his memorial crosses,

"I had a breaking point in El Paso. I hadn't slept for two days, it was 106 degrees and I collapsed from the pressure when I heard there were two more victims of the mass shooting."

Greg Zanis was diagnosed with bladder cancer recently and only had weeks to live, according to his CNN. He retired from his work with Crosses for Losses back in December and his death was announced by his daughter Susie Zanis. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to cover his funeral expenses and raise money for his widow.

Greg Zanis came to El Paso during a time when everyone in our community was dealing with immense grief. His hard work crafting crosses as a tribute to the victims helped many heal in our city. Thank you, Greg, for all you did for all the victims and for your kind, caring spirit. Read more about Greg Zanis and Crosses for Losses in their NBC News interview with Lester Holt back in August when Zanis was in El Paso.