Hundreds of mourners arrived to attend an El Paso shooting victim’s funeral on Friday after the woman’s husband invited members of the public to attend her memorial, according to the Associated Press.
Antonio Basco said he had no living relatives left after his wife of 22 years, Margie Reckard, was among those killed in a mass shooting at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart earlier this month, and so he welcomed all well-wishers who came to pay their respects.
So many people showed up to the service that it was moved from a funeral home to La Paz Faith Memorial & Spiritual Center. Volunteer musicians, including a mariachi band, offered to play music for the funeral.
“If you’ve ever started to lose your faith in humanity, this will bring it back,” says @GaryTuchmanCNN, reporting from the service for an El Paso shooting victim after her widower, with no family left, invited anyone and everyone to attend. More than 850 have arrived, so far. pic.twitter.com/CKTx32tcui
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) August 17, 2019
Hundreds of people expressed condolences and blessings in English and Spanish to Basco as they entered. Some brought flowers, and one person handed him an El Paso T-shirt.
“I love y’all, man,” Basco said while holding back tears.
Some people came forward to hug Basco as he went to thank those who were still standing in line.
Look at the turnout: The chapel is full for Margie Reckards funeral service. Her husband Antonio invited the public to attend, since he said he had no family in El Paso, & people showed him love.
Margie was killed in the mass shooting at WalMart. ?: @hkhijazi pic.twitter.com/nfJr8F2Fr1— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) August 16, 2019
One attendee, 42-year-old Jason Medina of El Paso, said he felt obligated to come even though he had never met Reckard before.
“I know her now,” Medina said. “We’re all family, bro.”
Perches Funeral Homes posted a picture on Facebook Tuesday of Basco grieving as he knelt next to a memorial for his wife. The caption invited the public to attend Reckard’s visitation, and the post soon went viral.
“He felt like he was going to kind of just be by himself with this whole thing, but it’s not so,” Perches director Harrison Johnson said on Thursday.
