Gilbert Anchondo, owner of Colormaster Auto Body Shop in El Paso, Texas, passed away unexpectedly on the evening of Feb. 17 at the age of 60.
Anchondo, whose collision career spanned over 30 years, was the father of Andre Anchondo who, along with his wife, Jordan, lost their lives in the Walmart shooting on Aug. 3, 2019. That shooting was considered the biggest hate crime against Hispanics the U.S. has ever seen.
Anchondo forgave the killer because he said he was not “in his senses,” plus he is a big believer in forgiveness and God, as he said in the video in this story by the BBC.
Gilbert leaves behind his small business, which he used to support his family, including baby Paul Anchondo who survived the shooting. When Paul turned 1 year old, the community held a parade for him to celebrate his birthday.
If you would like to help the family in this trying time, Anchondo’s friends have created a GoFundMe account in Gilbert’s memory.
