El Paso County’s Aug. 3 healing garden remembers victims

El PASO, Texas -- It’s been two years since one of the most tragic days in El Paso and the healing process is far from over.

A new permanent memorial now sits in the Lower valley for all of El Paso to sit in solace and reflect.  

The county's community healing garden at Ascarate Park will officially be unveiled Tuesday evening, on the second anniversary of the Cielo Vista Walmart shooting that left 23 people dead, including Maria and Raul Flores.

“The closer we get to the anniversary, and of course, any other special event that we share with our parents, it gets really hard it gets. it gets hard, because we miss them,” said Adriana Flores, daughter of Maria and Raul.

“They were so full of life.”

El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said the goal of the garden is be a place where people can "heal" and "medidate."

"(Then use it as) an opportunity to maybe go out of that healing garden and be able to share your new life, your new way of looking at things, the kindness the unity that we needed in our community," Samaniego said.

Adriana’s brother, Raul flores jr. has been a part of the garden’s construction since the beginning. He was one of many to plant trees in honor of each victim.

The garden features a 10 foot tall, 180 ft long memorial with 23 plaques engraved with each name of the victims and a lotus flower.

"The lotus representing a flower that blooms even under difficult conditions," Samaneigo said.

“i’m hoping (the garden) does bring that peace to everyone in a place where they could go back and reflect and justfind some solace in all this and forgiveness,” Adriana said.

She will be joining the rest of her family for the county’s special unveiling of the garden Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

It will be closed to the public but ABC-7 will be bringing live, complete coverage of the ceremony.

For more events to honor the victims, click here.