EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)-In El Paso four weeks after the August 3 mass shooting that left 22 people dead, a Midland, Texas family wanted to pay their respects at the Khalid benefit concert just to learn they have to deal with the aftermath of a another mass shooting when they return home.
Mel Munoz and Vanessa Rodriguez visited the makeshift Walmart memorial in El Paso before heading to the Khalid concert. Both are El Paso natives living in the Midland and Odessa area.
They recognized how connected they are to both mass shootings.
” I was supposed to come to El Paso when this happened but I ended up going to Dallas, and then I was supposed to be in Midland, but we came over here so we actually missed each one by a hair,” Munoz said.
Both shootings within a month apart, left the El Paso natives shaken as they thought of their loved ones in both communities.
“We’re just angry every time it happens you know it’s not even, it’s just here we go again and it makes us mad you know,” Munoz said.
Rodriguez and Munoz admired how the El Paso community came together to help during the tragedy, also recognizing how the law enforcement and local restaurants came together to help those in the Midland-Odessa area as well.
“As a community, they did come together, I’m sure El Paso has also shown their support to midland especially after coming out of a tragedy so I’m sure they reached out to help us,” Rodriguez said.
With this second Texas mass shooting in just the month of August this year, the Midland residents said action needs to be taken by state and national leaders.
“This should not be happening, we should not be burying people because of a senseless act so I think leaders need to so step up and help do something with this because I mean it’s just sad,” Rodriguez said.
As they prepare to head back home to Midland from El Paso, the El Paso natives called for a time of unity from the West Texas communities.
“The reason the people do this is to separate us to cause a division amongst everything, race, anything, don’t let them have what it is they’re looking for,” Rodriguez said.
