The El Paso, Texas, Walmart where a gunman killed 22 people on August 3 will reopen to the public on Thursday as a permanent memorial is being erected near the store in honor of the victims.
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The store had remained closed since the shooting, and its reopening comes about a week later than originally planned as crews finished renovating the building.
Credit: Tribune News Service
Credit: Tribune News Service
Outside the store, museum archivists and volunteers have disassembled and moved the makeshift memorial of candles, flowers, stuffed animals and other items to a nearby park. Some of the materials will be cataloged and preserved for historical purposes, El Paso officials said.
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Meanwhile, work is continuing on the new official memorial that is expected to be completed by the end of the year, the El Paso Times reported Tuesday.
Renderings of "The Grand Candela" memorial depict a 30-foot luminous cylindrical structure.
Credit: Courtesy of Walmart
Credit: Courtesy of Walmart
The design includes an outdoor plaza, surrounded by decorative fencing and plants, Walmart vice president Todd Peterson told an El Paso City Council meeting on Oct. 30.
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“As the store resumes retail operations, we remain focused on honoring the victims and survivors,” Peterson said in a later statement. “The 30-foot high Grand Candela will stand as a tribute to each of the lives lost on August 3 and a testament to the light of hope that radiates from the El Paso community.”
Patrick Crusius, 21, has been charged with capital murder in connection to the massacre.
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Crusius surrendered to authorities after the attack and identified himself as the gunman, according to police. Crusius later told investigators he drove about 10 hours from his home in Allen, Texas, to El Paso to carry out the shooting.
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