‘We’re survivors’: Aug. 3rd shooting victim copes with loss of husband 2 years after tragedy

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Jessica Garcia spent 16 years with the love of her life, Guillermo 'Memo' Garcia.

That's why two years later, after the shooting that changed her life, she's still coming to grips with what happened.

"Not having him is hard. It’s not something that I chose," Jessica Garcia said. "I didn’t choose to be without him. Having to learn to live without him, I think that’s the hardest part. Sometimes I feel like he’s here and he’s going to come back.”

Jessica and Memo had a loving relationship and two kids -- Memo Jr. and Karina.

The family was forever altered on Aug. 3, 2019.

Memo and Jessica were both shot that day. They were fundraising in front of the Walmart for Karina's soccer team. Their two children were unharmed and Jessica's injuries were not life-threatening. Memo, however, remained hospitalized for nearly nine months after the tragedy.

He died in April 2020, making him the 23rd victim.

"He never gave up. He literally was there until the end, until his body didn’t allow him to go any further," Jessica said. "It’s selfish of me to want to just give in and not be strong sometimes. I always remind myself, ‘I’m tank tough’, and my kids are ’tank tough.'"

Memo was affectionately known as "Tank" for his imposing stature. After the shooting friends and family created the slogan "Tank Tough."

“I tell my kids — We’re not victims. Daddy was a victim. We’re survivors. That says a lot," she said. "We’ve been through a lot and we’re still going to face a lot of challenges in life. My kids you see them and of course they miss their dad and everything. In general though — I think they’re pretty happy kids. I think it’s because we talk about him so much. Because he’s in everything that we do.”

Garcia hopes that on the anniversary of the shooting, the community comes together as it once did. While it's difficult for her to speak about her late husband, she also says that talking about him helps keep his legacy alive.

"He’s in heaven and he’s watching over us and we need to make him proud. We need to keep going because he would not allow us to give up,” she said.