Vibrant flowers and photos graced 21 hexagonal pillars outside the Southwestern College Higher Education Center in San Ysidro July 18 at the memorial event honoring the 35th anniversary of the San Ysidro McDonald’s Massacre.
The education center stands on the site of the massacre, which was the deadliest shooting in U.S. history at the time, leaving 21 people dead and 19 others injured.
The massacre is now the seventh-deadliest in U.S. history.
Years later, the center’s acting director Patie Bartow said some of their students had no idea about the tragedy and she wants to change that as the education center goes “from tragedy to triumph.”
“We want to showcase our program … and also how all of our programs come together to help our students so our students have a second chance at life,” Bartow said during the memorial event ceremony.
HEC San Ysidro student Jasmine Guerrero wasn’t born when the shooting happened, but said she recognizes the importance of the memorial event in order to prevent something like this from happening again.
Gloria Salas, a community advocate who fought for an on-site memorial after the shooting, also spoke during the ceremony, in addition to other faculty and Pastor Tony Collins.
The event included a student display with art and poetry honoring the anniversary. In attendance were local residents, educators, students, community leaders and family members of those killed in the massacre.
Dean of Southwestern College’s Higher Education Center in National City Christine Perri attended the memorial event and said it’s important for the community to come together and remember the lives lost, but also see the good in what the college is doing to improve lives.
“I’m sending many blessings and prayers to the families that lost loved ones,” Perri said.
Graciela Gonzales has family that lives in San Ysidro and attended the event with her granddaughter. She said in Spanish her nephew’s friend was killed during the massacre, and when things like this happen the community needs to act fast to make improvements.
When planning the memorial event, Bartow said it was crucial that she involve the family members of those deceased.
“Really the direction and the vision needed to come from them,” Bartow said.
She added that she hopes to involve more families and students when memorializing the massacre in the future because they will be the ones carrying these stories on.
