WASHINGTON – Today on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) remembered the horrific shooting in El Paso one year ago today. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks about the bill today are below, and video of his remarks can be found here.
“One year ago a gunman stormed an El Paso Walmart and opened fire. Forty six people were shot, twenty three 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.”
“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, but by the time I came back three days later, it had grown to over half a mile.”
“As we remember this anniversary amidst a pandemic, there won’t be groups of strangers hugging, crying, or holding hands like I witnessed in the days following the shooting. Instead, we’ll have socially distanced memorials like the vigil held yesterday that will allow El Pasoans once again to prove that hate will not win.”
“El Paso [is] a border community that has looked hate in the eye and unequivocally chosen strength, grace, and love for one another.”