Randy Wayne Steele, 20, of El Paso was killed on February 3, 1980, during a mass shooting at the Starburst Lounge in northeast El Paso that left five people dead. The shooting began after 21-year-old Barry Chvarak reportedly argued over who was the best marksman, left the bar, retrieved a semi-automatic .22 caliber rifle from his truck, then returned and opened fire.

Steele pushed a waitress out of the line of fire, an action that saved her life but left him with three gunshot wounds that proved fatal. Chvarak was arrested and later convicted of five counts of murder with a deadly weapon; he received five life sentences. The Starburst Lounge has since been demolished and the site is now a blighted lot.

Randy’s mother, Shirlene Masterson, has kept his memory alive and speaks about his heroism and the loss her family suffered.