Carlos Mario Gonzalez Bermudez, 16, a sophomore at Cathedral High School in El Paso, TX, was one of three teenagers killed in a shooting Saturday, February 5, in Juarez, Mexico. Juan Carlos Echeverri Jr., 15, a former Cathedral student, was also killed. El Paso Times reports the teens were shot while at a used car dealership.
Cathedral students and staff have gathered in prayer since Monday. Counseling services are available to students to help them in their grief. Lasallians are asked to pray. “Let us join our hearts and voices in solidarity with victims of violence and for our Lasallian educational community in El Paso,” said Brother Timothy Coldwell, New Orleans-Santa Fe District Visitor.
Violence is widespread in Juarez. El Paso Times quotes Cathedral Principal Brother Nick Gonzalez as saying violence taking place on the Mexican side of the border does not make it a Mexican problem. “It is not a ‘them’ problem, it is an ‘us’ problem. We need to find out how to help kids cope,” he told the paper. “Just because there is a border doesn’t mean that the emotions and pain don’t cross over.”