Jorge Calvillo Garcia, a 61-year-old Hispanic male, tragically lost his life on August 3, 2019, during the horrific mass shooting at the Cielo Vista Walmart in El Paso, Texas. Jorge was at the Walmart to support his granddaughter's young soccer team's fundraiser. As the gunman approached the soccer team, Jorge heroically stepped between him and his son Luis, who was shielding his daughter and teammates.
Unfortunately, Jorge did not survive the attack.
The shooter, identified as Patrick Wood Crusius, was arrested and charged with capital murder in connection with the shooting. Crusius, a 21-year-old at the time, had driven over 650 miles from his grandparents' house in Allen, Texas, to El Paso on the day of the attack. He posted a manifesto with white nationalist and anti-immigrant themes on the imageboard 8chan shortly before the attack. The manifesto cited the Christchurch mosque shootings earlier that year and the far-right conspiracy theory known as the Great Replacement as inspiration for the attack.
In 2023, Crusius pleaded guilty to 90 federal murder and hate crime charges and was sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime. The attack has been described as the deadliest attack on Latinos in modern American history.
Jorge Calvillo Garcia's selfless act of bravery and his dedication to his family and community are remembered by many. His family has faced immense pain and loss but has also received support from the community through fundraisers and memorials. The tragic events of that day have left a lasting impact on the victims' families and the community as a whole.
