In this May 23, 2020 photo provided by Tito Anchondo, Paul Anchondo is held by his grandmother, Brenda Anchondo in El Paso, Texas. Photo / AP
In this May 23, 2020 photo provided by Tito Anchondo, Paul Anchondo is held by his grandmother, Brenda Anchondo in El Paso, Texas. Photo / AP
An infant boy who survived a shooting last year that left his parents and 21 others dead now likes to thumb through picture books and dance to a Batman jingle with his grandmother, according to an uncle who helps care for the 1-year-old.
It will be years before Paul Anchondolearns what happened to his parents in an event that many El Paso residents still struggle to comprehend, Tito Anchondo said. Anchondo's brother Andre and sister-in-law Jordan died in the shooting at a Walmart store.
In this May 23, 2020 photo provided by Tito Anchondo, Paul Anchondo is held by his grandmother, Brenda Anchondo in El Paso, Texas. Photo / AP
"We've been putting collections together of my brother's photos, his accomplishments, basically trying to get as much information that we can and save it for" the boy, Tito Anchondo said.
"When he does get to that age, we can tell him, 'You know what, like, this is what happened to your dad ... Something horrible happened to your mom and dad. But, you know, we're still here.'"
Jordan and Andre Anchondo, picturedwith their newborn son Paul. Photos / Facebook
Authorities say Jordan Anchondo shielded the baby from gunfire, while her husband shielded them both. Paul suffered broken fingers and became the focus of public adulation as a seemingly miraculous survivor of the horror.
After the shooting, Jordan's sister Leta Jamrowski told the Associated Press how she had protected her child.
"From the baby's injuries, they said that more than likely my sister was trying to shield him," she said. "So when she got shot she was holding him and she fell on him, so that's why he broke some of his bones. So he pretty much lived because she gave her life."
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump's visit to Paul in hospital sparked outrage after Trump posed for a photo with the child giving a thumbs-up gesture.
President Trump and Melania pose with baby Paul Anchondo, alongside Tito Anchondo (L). Photo / Melania Trump
Many questioned the president's intentions, given his history of using inflammatory rhetoric about Hispanic immigrants to excite his base.
"This is a photo of Trump grinning while Melania holds a baby orphaned by the shooting. A baby who was taken from home and forced to serve as a prop at a photo-op for the very monster whose hate killed her/his parents. I would need 280,000 characters to say how furious I am," Twitter user Greg Pinelo posted at the time.
"People are being murdered, why are you #DonaldTrump using survivors for photo-ops??
Paul's first birthday, during the coronavirus pandemic, was attended by a drive-by caravan of cars and motorcycles.
Tito Anchondo said "baby Paul" won't attend a series of events associated with the anniversary of the August 3, 2019, shooting because of concerns about the spread of Covid-19. Paul's paternal grandmother has health conditions that could make her extra vulnerable to the virus.
A relative of the boy's deceased mother declined to offer thoughts on the anniversary of the shooting. Tito acknowledged that Paul has been the focus of court-supervised custody negotiations between his paternal and maternal families.
In this May 23, 2020 photo provided by Tito Anchondo, Paul Anchondo celebrates his first birthday in El Paso, Texas. Photo / AP
Tito Anchondo's parents grew up in Mexico's Ciudad Juarez, adjacent to El Paso. He works with his father at their auto-body repair shop in El Paso and describes himself as a patriot who regards the United States as a land of opportunity. He supports the president without reservations.
Tito said the mass shooting opened his eyes to divisive political, racial and ethnic tensions beyond El Paso. Authorities say the gunman was targeting Latinos.
"The shooting was the biggest racist attack on Mexican Americans, and to me that was something that was, you know, nonexistent," he said. "Call it privilege (from) living in El Paso, one of the safest cities in the United States."
