Infant Whose Parents Were Killed in El Paso Walmart Shooting, How is He Now?
(Photo : YouTube screenshot/ newdayli)
El Paso mass shooting survivor celebrates first birthday without his parents

When a baby cries, who would not melt his heart? What if a baby loses his parents? You would feel heartbroken.

The baby, Paul Anchondo, is a very young survivor of the El Paso Walmart shooting that killed his parents and twenty-one others a year ago. The infant boy continues his life and can now thumb through books and dance to a Batman jingle. Paul is with his grandmother, and his uncle, Tito Anchondo, helps take care of the one-year-old.

Tito said that it will take several years before Paul discovers what happened to his parents like the other El Paso residents who still struggle to accept the tragedy.

Paul's father Andre is Tito Anchondo's brother, and Paul's mom is Jordan, who died in the shooting at a Walmart store.

Tito Anchondo said that they are making collections of his brother's photos, accomplishments, and any added information to save for the baby Paul. "When he does get to that age, we can tell him," Tito said. "You know what, like, this is what happened to your father. Something horrible happened to your mom and dad. But, you know, we're still here," he added.

According to the authorities, Jordan Anchondo, Paul's mom, shielded him from gunfire while his father, Andre, shielded them both. The baby suffered from broken fingers and has public admiration due to the miraculous survival of the tragedy.

TIME reported that President Donald Trump and first lady, Melania Trump, visited Paul in the hospital on his first birthday during the COVID-19 pandemic. The celebration was attended by a drive-by caravan of motorcycles and cars.

Tito Anchondo reiterated that the youngest massacre survivor wouldn't attend events associated with the August 3, 2019 shooting in El Paso due to the risks that the baby could get coronavirus. Besides, Paul's paternal grandmother has health conditions, which makes her vulnerable to the virus. Tito acknowledged that the infant had been the court's focus in supervising and settling custody negotiations between Paul's maternal and paternal families.

The orphan's grandparents grew up in Mexico's Ciudad Juarez. Paul's grandfather owns an auto-body repair shop in El Paso, and Tito Anchondo describes himself as a "patriot" who works in the shop. Anchondo supports president Trump without reservations, as per ABS News 7.

Tito remembers the massacre as an eye-opener to the divisive political, racial, and ethnic tensions they have in El Paso. Authorities said the gunman was targeting Latinos. "The shooting was the biggest racist attack on Mexican-Americans, and to me, that was something that was, you know, non-existent," Tito believed. "Call it privilege (from) living in El Paso, one of the safest cities in the United States."

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