Texas' leading anti-masker passes away after a month-long battle with Covid-19

San Angelo, Texas – Caleb Wallace, the man behind the anti-mask movement in Texas, passed away over the weekend from Covid-19.

An anti-masker holds up a sign in protest of mask mandates on July 16, 2020, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
An anti-masker holds up a sign in protest of mask mandates on July 16, 2020, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

On Saturday, Caleb Wallace lost his month-long fight against Covid-19, according to an update on the GoFundMe page set up to raise funds for his wife and kids while he battled the virus from the confines of a hospital.

The founder of the San Angelo Freedom Defenders and the anti-mask movement across the state of Texas had been in the hospital since July 30, and had been on a ventilator since August 8.

On July 4, 2020, Wallace helped organize "The Freedom Rally", an event that was held in San Angelo, Texas in protest of mask mandates and business closures across the state.

But his fight for "freedom" didn't end in there. In April 2021, Wallace wrote a letter to the San Angelo ISD that was published by San Angelo LIVE, demanding that the district rescind is Covid-19 health and safety protocols, including mask wearing.

In the letter, he said that San Angelo ISD was not "taking in the account the harmful effects of masking on children", and that not doing so should be "considered criminal". Doctors have repeatedly said that masks don't impair children's breathing or damage their lungs.

On August 27, one day prior to Wallace's passing, his wife Jessica shared an update on the GoFundMe page, "To those who wished him death, I’m sorry his views and opinions hurt you. I prayed he’d come out of this with a new perspective and more appreciation for life. I can’t say much more than that because I can’t speak for him."

The 30-year-old is survived by his wife, Jessica Wallace, three children, and one unborn baby who is due to arrive at the end of September.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, there are currently 2,999,659 cases of Covid-19 in Texas.

Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

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