Social media is a pretty terrible place, but every now and then there’s a story that makes it almost worth it.
Wow.
From CBS News:
The funeral home had posted about Margie Reckard’s funeral on their Facebook page, which went viral. She was one of 22 people killed when a gunman opened fire at the El Paso Walmart on August 3.
Basco was seen after the shooting crying at the memorial and clutching the cross with her name on it. He said he and Reckard had no children together and he had no family in the area.
He told the funeral home to invite anyone who wanted to come to the funeral service, and the post went viral.
And here’s what happened:
Antonio Basco stood in front of his wife’s casket for two hours Friday hugging strangers.
The El Paso man initially thought no one would show up for his wife’s visitation service. His wife, Margie Reckard, 63, was killed when a gunman opened fire at a Walmart. The couple had no relatives in the area.
Basco walked into the La Paz Faith Memorial and Spiritual Center to a storm of applause and a procession of people wanting to hug him. The building was at capacity with 400 mourners. Outside, another 700 waited in nearly 100-degree heat to pay respects, according to funeral organizers.
“People were telling me they came from different faiths, different cities. It’s just incredible how much love and support every single one of you has shown,” Reckard’s grandson, Tyler, said.
This reporter said there were thousands who attended:
Thousands of El Pasoans are saying goodbye to Margie Reckard, victims of the #ElPasoShooting and consoling her husband
— Julio-César Chávez (@JulioCesrChavez) August 17, 2019
They had no family in El Paso so he invited the public.
The line to enter stretches for nearly half a mile.
This is #ElPasoStrong pic.twitter.com/QuWUF5XGDD
Such a large & beautiful crowd here for Mr. Antonio Basco who lost his wife Margie Reckard in the racist attack on #ElPaso two weeks ago. This video doesn’t even capture a fraction of the entire crowd. We are #ElPasoSteong pic.twitter.com/Bw6ITMaIvq
— Claudia Tristán (@tristan_claudia) August 17, 2019
The funeral service for Margie Reckard is still going on in El Paso. People are lined around the outside of the funeral home chapel waiting to greet her husband, Antonio, who invited the public because he has no other family in El Paso. pic.twitter.com/QVVSUN1FKX
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) August 17, 2019
Incredible. The internet and especially social media has inspired a lot of horrible terrible outcomes. But it has also helped some incredible and inspiring things come to fruition. Just like most people, you have to take the good with the bad.
Rest in peace, Margie Reckard.
UPDATE: There’s a GoFundMe for the family, you can get to it here.