Parkland victims honored at Violent Crime Victims name reading

It’s Violent Crime Victims Week and the El Paso DA’s office held their annual name reading at the memorial reading garden Sunday morning.

Prosecutors read 1,633 El Pasoans’ names this morning, remembering and honoring every victim of violent crime in our city; but 17 more people were honored: those killed in the Marjory-Stoneman Douglas school shooting in Florida.

“To hold up a picture of another high school student who had passed away, and to see all of the pictures across from me looking at me was just a terrible feeling,” said Bettina Camacho, a Franklin HS Senior.

As people gathered at the Violent Crime Victims’ memorial Sunday to remember their loved ones, these students said there’s one difference when it comes to this class of violent crime victim compared to past school shootings: their age.

“High school students, as victims, are finding their own voices in high school, and they’re able to use those voices,” said Oriana Dominguez, an El Paso HS senior.

“They themselves are soon going to be voters, and I think that’s what makes a difference with our legislators and our government.”

With people mourning losses, the students holding the portraits of the Parkland victims said they would try to work to bring down violent crime and school shootings through law.

“When you look at school shootings, high schoolers are the ones being shot at,” Dominguez said.

“Sometimes it takes for them to be personally affected to go out and do something. I hope that seeing these shootings is that personal effect,” said Mariela Perez-Cabarcas, Franklin HS Senior.