During this weekend’s deadly gun violence in El Paso, Texas, Manuel and Patricia Oliver were in the vicinity because they were planning on commemorating what would have been the 19th birthday of their son, Joaquin Oliver.

Joaquin was one of the 17 people gunned down during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine’s Day last year.

Manuel and Patricia had traveled to Ciudad Juárez, across the U.S. border into Mexico, to visit an immigrant shelter in honor of their deceased son, saying no child should ever be separated from their parents by either gunfire or immigration agents.

They planned to travel to El Paso the next day, where they were going to paint a mural commemorating their son’s life and passion for immigration rights, when they got word of the mass shooting at the Walmart. From Ft. Lauderdale,

Democracy Now! speaks with Manuel and Patricia Oliver.

Democracy Now! Domestic Terrorism El Paso Free Speech TV Gun Violence Joaquin Oliver Manuel Oliver Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Mass Shooting Parkland Parkland shooting Patricia Oliver United States Wal-Mart