El Paso Walmart shooting survivor hosts first aid crisis training event ahead of memorial

EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — Seven years after the Aug. 3, 2019, shooting at an El Paso Walmart that left 23 people dead, a survivor is organizing an event aimed at preparing the public to respond in a crisis with lifesaving skills, including first aid training.

Claudia Cano, a survivor of the shooting, organized the “Honoring the 23-Turning Remembrance Into Readiness” event to be held this Saturday, July 25, at the Arts, Science & Technology Building at El Paso Community College, one week before the Aug. 3 annual memorial.

Speaking to KFOX14/CBS4 on Friday about the event, Cano, the Director of Community Readiness, said the event is about more than just remembering what was lost that tragic day.

“I think that after seven years, I’ve had the time to heal, I had the time to reflect, and to think about what legacy I wanted to leave. And a memorial is something that people can go to and reflect. But I want August 3rd to be remembered for the people who were standing next to each other and helping each other. And I want it to be a day that people can use to learn something, to take away,” Cano said.

She added, “I want us to be ready. I want our community to be knowledgeable. And so I’ve been an educator for many, many years.”

Cano said the event aims to help the community know what to do in a moment of crisis, stating that quick action can make the difference between life and death.

“I say to our community that knowledge is power. To know what to do in a moment of crisis. We know that a person can bleed out in less than two to three minutes, and seconds count. So a colleague, a friend, a stranger walking by, anybody could be someone who can save a life. And so what’s important to me is that the community be prepared,” Cano said.

Cano also acknowledged how difficult it can be to rely on training during a real emergency, even for someone with experience.

“That day was a very, very hard day. I didn’t think that it would occur. And nothing can prepare you. You’ve done your training. You’ve did everything. And I’ve been trained in first aid and CPR. I’ve trained in active shooter. And that day when I heard the first shots, I told myself this is not a drill. This is not practice. And I knew that I had to remain calm and to do what I knew best, right, is to help others.”

The event will include four different training sessions at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and Cano said it will offer free, certified CPR and first aid training. She said the focus will be on ” Stop the Bleed,” which includes bleeding-control skills that can apply to many emergencies.

“What’s significant about this event on Saturday is that it’s really specifically on stopping a bleed. Whether it could be a gunshot wound, it could be a stabbing, a cut. I mean, crisis happens any time, and while I hope that our community never experiences a tragedy like we have happened on August 3, the person standing next to you could be prepared and be ready,” Cano said.

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