We are saddened today to hear the news of Coach Guillermo “Memo” Garcia also know to the community as “Tank” who was called up to heaven late last night. Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts and 🙏 prayers through this difficult time. May he Rest In Peace ❤️ pic.twitter.com/HqApMaRafs
— El Paso Parks and Recreation (@EPTXParksRec) April 26, 2020
Guillermo “Memo” Garcia, one of the people injured in the El Paso mass shooting last August, has died. He passed away Saturday night, said his wife. This brings the death toll of the incident to 23.
“His courage, his strength and his story have touched many lives, including those of our caregivers, who tirelessly fought with him and for him every step of the way,” Chief Executive Officer of Del Sol Medical Center David Shimp said in a statement obtained by CBS 4 Local in a Sunday report. “We are grieving with his family and with our community.”
He and his wife Jessica Garcia had been at the Walmart the day of the shooting to sell lemonade to help fund their kids’ soccer team. That’s when a gunman opened fire. During the incident, Guillermo sustained two gunshots to his leg and another one to his back while protecting his children. Jessica sustained three bullets to her legs. The couple’s son, 5, and daughter, 11, weren’t shot.
A message from Memo Garcia’s wife, Jessica, to the El Paso community:
“Last night at 11:22 we lost a warrior, but gained an angel.
He fought long and hard, with the help of all his troops he won many battles but lost the war.”https://t.co/S4Htes2uGn
— Keenan Willard (@KeenanKFOX_CBS) April 26, 2020
“Last night at 11:22, we lost a warrior, but gained angel,” Jessica Garcia said in a statement to media outlets.
“When the pandemic and social distancing orders pass, we will have a proper memorial and mass where the community can pay their respects to an El Paso warrior!”
A powerful message from Jessica Garcia to the city that rallied around her in the wake of a tragedy.
— Keenan Willard (@KeenanKFOX_CBS) April 26, 2020
Authorities say that the El Paso shooting was a racist attack. Alleged shooter Patrick Wood Crusius admitted to targeting “Mexicans,” police said. He was later charged with federal hate crimes for the incident. He is the alleged author of an online manifesto, in which the writer ranted about immigration, especially Hispanic people arriving in the United States. The defendant pleaded not guilty in both state and federal cases.
[Screengrab via ABC News]
