Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of El Paso shooting victim Margie Reckard, to honour a woman they had never met.

Having few relatives and feeling alone after her death, Ms Reckard's husband Antonio Basco had welcomed the public in joining him in remembering his companion of 22 years.

Los Angeles resident Jordan Ballard, 38, was one of the hundreds of people who braved the 38C (100F) heat and travelled from afar to pay their respects to Ms Reckard, 63, who was killed in the massacre on 3 August.

"I arrived here this morning," said Ms Ballard. "His [Mr Basco] story moved me."

Image: Mr Basco gets a hug from a boy

Image: Mr Basco was joined by hundreds of supporters at his partner's funeral

The service was moved from a funeral home to La Paz Faith Memorial & Spiritual Center to accommodate the crowd.


Perches Funeral Homes director Harrison Johnson called the outpouring "amazing".

He added: "He [Mr Basco] felt like he was going to kind of just be by himself with this whole thing but it's not so."

Mr Basco arrived to people shouting blessings in English and Spanish.

"I love you all," Mr Basco said, before he became emotionally overwhelmed.

Image: Mr Basco was comforted earlier in the week by a woman next to a cross bearing the name of his wife

Image: There were long lines to get in to the service

Jason Medina, 42, of El Paso, said he stood quietly in line and waited for his chance to say goodbye to someone he never knew.

"I know her now," Mr Medina said. "We're all family."

On Tuesday, Perches Funeral Homes posted a photo on social media of Mr Basco kneeling by candlelight.

The post welcomed anyone to attend Ms Reckard's funeral and soon drew thousands of comments and shares.

In the days after the shooting in which 22 people were killed, Mr Basco said that Ms Reckard's kindness and selflessness was incomparable.

"When I met her she was an angel and she still is," Mr Basco told El Paso television station KFOX.