The Cielo Vista Walmart store, which will reopen in months, will feature shooting victims
EL PASO, Texas – A Walmart spokesman said Wednesday that the company plans to reopen its Cielo Vista store, the site of the Aug. 3 shooting that claimed 22 lives, over the next three four months.
Randy Hargrove, a spokesman at Walmart's Arkansas headquarters, told ABC-7 that the store would undergo "extensive work" before reopening. The renovation work will include new floors, fixtures and fittings.
In addition, he said the store location will contain a memorial for the shooting victims.
"As we consider the next steps for the store, we continue to think carefully," Hargrove said. "We are working on plans for a permanent memorial in the store, which we know is important for our colleagues and the community."
The details of the memorial are still being worked out, but will involve and gained community input into the concept and design, he added.
The city of El Paso was informed of this development in a letter sent by Walmart officials to Mayor Dee Margo on Wednesday.
Margo called the plans to reopen the store "a testimony to the resilience of the community."
The mayor said the city would discuss the next step with Walmart officials, including memory plans.