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'We're all family': Hundreds honour El Paso victim after husband's public invite

Hundreds of strangers came to pay their respects to a victim of the El Paso, Texas, mass shooting who had few family members.

Saturday 17 August 2019 20:20, UK

Antonio Basco, whose wife Margie Reckard was murdered during a shooting at a Walmart store
Image: Antonio Basco appeared overwhelmed by the massive public support
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Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of El Paso shooting victim Margie Reckard, to honour a woman they had never met.

Having few relatives and feeling alone after her death, Ms Reckard's husband Antonio Basco had welcomed the public in joining him in remembering his companion of 22 years.

Los Angeles resident Jordan Ballard, 38, was one of the hundreds of people who braved the 38C (100F) heat and travelled from afar to pay their respects to Ms Reckard, 63, who was killed in the massacre on 3 August.

"I arrived here this morning," said Ms Ballard. "His [Mr Basco] story moved me."

Mr Basco gets a hug from a boy
Image: Mr Basco gets a hug from a boy
Antonio Basco, whose wife Margie Reckard was murdered during a shooting at a Walmart store, is comforted by a woman next to a white wooden cross bearing the name of his late wife, at a memorial for the victims of the shooting in El Paso, Texas, U.S. August 15, 2019. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Image: Mr Basco was joined by hundreds of supporters at his partner's funeral

The service was moved from a funeral home to La Paz Faith Memorial & Spiritual Center to accommodate the crowd.

Perches Funeral Homes director Harrison Johnson called the outpouring "amazing".

He added: "He [Mr Basco] felt like he was going to kind of just be by himself with this whole thing but it's not so."

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Mr Basco arrived to people shouting blessings in English and Spanish.

"I love you all," Mr Basco said, before he became emotionally overwhelmed.

Antonio Basco, whose wife Margie Reckard was murdered during a shooting at a Walmart store, is comforted by a woman next to a white wooden cross bearing the name of his late wife, at a memorial for the victims of the shooting in El Paso, Texas, U.S. August 15, 2019. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Image: Mr Basco was comforted earlier in the week by a woman next to a cross bearing the name of his wife
Hundreds lined up to get into the service
Image: There were long lines to get in to the service

Jason Medina, 42, of El Paso, said he stood quietly in line and waited for his chance to say goodbye to someone he never knew.

"I know her now," Mr Medina said. "We're all family."

On Tuesday, Perches Funeral Homes posted a photo on social media of Mr Basco kneeling by candlelight.

The post welcomed anyone to attend Ms Reckard's funeral and soon drew thousands of comments and shares.

In the days after the shooting in which 22 people were killed, Mr Basco said that Ms Reckard's kindness and selflessness was incomparable.

"When I met her she was an angel and she still is," Mr Basco told El Paso television station KFOX.

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