Editing Selena (section)

=== Impact ===
Selena's murder had a widespread impact. Reactions to her death were compared to those following the deaths of musicians [[John Lennon]] and [[Elvis Presley]] and that of [[President of the United States|U.S. president]] [[John F. Kennedy]].{{sfn|Stacy|2002|p=746}}{{sfn|Jasinski|2012|p=254}} Major television networks interrupted their regular programming to break the news—[[Tom Brokaw]] referred to Selena as "The Mexican [[Madonna]]".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rodriguez|first1=Gregory|title='Selena': A Symbol of Today's Cultural Ties|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-04-07-ca-46202-story.html|access-date=September 27, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=April 7, 1997}}</ref> Her death was front-page news in ''[[The New York Times]]'' for two days.{{sfn|Patoski|1996|p=174}} Many vigils and memorials were held in her honor, and radio stations in Texas played her music non-stop.<ref name="worstday">{{cite news|title=Selena's death leaves Tejano music world shocked, mournful |url=http://www.caller.com/entertainment/selena/selenas-death-leaves-tejano-music-world-shocked-mournful-ep-1035569575.html |access-date=September 19, 2015 |work=Corpus Christi Caller Times |date=April 1, 1995}}</ref> Her funeral drew 60,000 mourners, many of whom traveled from outside the United States.<ref name="worstday" />

The news struck the [[Hispanic]] community extremely hard. Many fans traveled thousands of miles to see Selena's house and boutiques, and the crime scene.{{sfn|Patoski|1996|p=199}}<ref name="traffic">{{cite news |last=Katz |first=Jesse |date=April 2, 1995 |title=For Barrio, Selena's Death Strikes a Poignant Chord |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-02-mn-50074-story.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-04-10 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> By mid-afternoon, police were asked to form a [[detour]] because a line of cars began backing up traffic from the Quintanillas' houses.{{sfn|Patoski|1996|p=200}} Among the celebrities who contacted the Quintanilla family to express their condolences were [[Gloria Estefan]], [[Celia Cruz]], [[Julio Iglesias]], and Madonna.{{sfn|Patoski|1996|p=165}} Other celebrities—including Stefani Montiel, Jaime DeAnda (of [[Tejano music#Tejano artists and bands|Los Chamacos]]), and [[Shelly Lares]]—appeared on radio stations to express their thoughts about Selena's death.{{sfn|Patoski|1996|p=201}}

An issue of ''People'' magazine was released several days after her murder. Its publishers believed interest would soon wane. They released a commemorative issue within a week when it became clear it was growing. The issue sold nearly a million copies,<ref name="Latin pride">{{cite magazine|last1=Lannert |first1=John |year=1995 |title=Latin pride |magazine=Billboard |volume=107 |issue=23 |page=112 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0QsEAAAAMBAJ&q=Selena+Dreaming+of+You+sold+more&pg=PA62|access-date=September 27, 2015 }}</ref> selling the entire first and second print runs within two weeks. It became a collector's item, a first in the history of ''People''. Betty Cortina, an editor of ''People'', told ''Biography'' they never had an issue that was completely sold out; "it was unheard of". In the following months, the company released ''[[People en Español]]'' aimed at the Hispanic market, due to the success of the Selena issue.<ref name="Selena ''Biography''"/> This was followed by ''[[Newsweek|Newsweek en Espanol]]'' and ''[[Latina (magazine)|Latina]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Muniz|first1=Janet|title=Bidi Bidi Bom Bom: The Audiotopias of Selena Across the Americas|url=http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1045&context=lux|website=[[Claremont Graduate University|Claremont.edu]]|access-date=February 28, 2015}}</ref>

A few days later, [[Howard Stern]] mocked Selena's murder and burial, poked fun at her mourners, and criticized her music. Stern said, "This music does absolutely nothing for me. [[Alvin and the Chipmunks]] have more soul&nbsp;...&nbsp;Spanish people have the worst taste in music. They have no depth." Stern's comments outraged and infuriated the Hispanic community in Texas.{{sfn|Arrarás|1997|pp=24–27}} Stern's sound effects man added gunshots to her music played in the background on his show.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 3, 1995 |title=The Howard Stern Show }}</ref> A South Texas judge issued a [[disorderly conduct]] arrest warrant in Stern's name, claiming "I did it for all the Tejano fans". Free-speech advocates said the warrant was unconstitutional. "It fails the First Amendment test", said Jay Jacobson, executive director for the Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. "It's a speech that is protected - being a music critic, no matter how harsh, is not grounds for criminal charges."<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=1995-04-13 |title=Warrant Is Issued For Howard Stern |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/13/us/warrant-is-issued-for-howard-stern.html |access-date=2023-12-10 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Stern made an on-air statement, in Spanish, saying his comments were not made to cause "more anguish to her family, friends and those who loved her".<ref>{{cite web|title=A real shocker from Stern: Apology for Selena comments|work=Daily News|location=New York |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/real-shocker-stern-apology-selena-comments-article-1.689006 |access-date=November 23, 2013|date=April 7, 1995}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Marikar|first=Sheila |title=Howard Stern's Five Most Outrageous Offenses |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/howard-sterns-outrageous-offenses/story?id=16327309|work=Good Morning America|publisher=ABC|access-date=November 23, 2013 |date=May 14, 2012}}</ref> The [[League of United Latin American Citizens]] boycotted Stern's show, finding his apology unacceptable.<ref>{{cite news |last=Campbell |first=Elizabeth |date=April 7, 1995 |title=Hispanics call Stern's apology for Selena remarks unacceptable |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram-hispanics-call/169968530/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |page=A9 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

Texas retailers removed any products that were related to Stern, while [[Sears]] and [[McDonald's]] sent a letter stating their disapproval of Stern's comments to the media because some fans believed the companies sponsored Stern's show.{{sfn|Arrarás|1997|pp=26–27}} Within a week, on [[NBC]]'s ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'', Stern and [[Robin Quivers]] (his co-host) were asked whether Stern's remarks about Selena were acceptable. Quivers decided not to talk about the situation to avoid arguing with Stern. When [[Linda Ronstadt]]—a pop singer of Mexican-American heritage—appeared on the show, she and Quivers argued when Ronstadt defended Selena.{{sfn|Patoski|1996|p=227}}

On April 12, 1995, two weeks after Selena's death, [[George W. Bush]], governor of Texas at the time, declared her birthday, April 16, Selena Day in the state.<ref name="biotexas"/><ref name=WIRE>{{cite news|title=Sunday's Selena Day|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SAEC&p_theme=saec&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAFE75514FF3445&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|access-date=October 6, 2011|newspaper=San Antonio Express-News|date=April 14, 1995|url-access=subscription}}</ref> He said Selena represented "the essence of south Texas culture."<ref name=bushcomments>{{cite web|title=Texas Declares 'Selena Day'|url=http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Texas-Declares-Selena-Day-3037474.php|website=[[Houston Chronicle]]|access-date=February 28, 2015|date=April 17, 1995}}</ref> Some European Americans in Texas wrote to the editor of the ''[[Brazosport Facts]]'' during April and May, asking what the big deal was; some were offended that Selena Day fell on [[Easter]]. Others said, "Easter is ''more'' important than Selena Day", and that they believed people should let Selena rest in peace and continue with their lives.{{sfn|Patoski|1996|p=225}} Mexican Americans in Texas wrote vociferously to the newspaper. Some said others were too critical of Selena Day, and should not have responded so rudely.{{sfn|Patoski|1996|p=226}}

In October 1995, a Houston jury convicted Saldívar of [[first-degree murder]] and she was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years in 2025.{{sfn|Patoski|1996|p=230}} Life with the possibility of parole was the maximum prison term allowed in Texas that could be imposed at the time.<ref name="sentencing-CNN">{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/US/9510/selena/10-26/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020612084141/http://edition.cnn.com/US/9510/selena/10-26/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 12, 2002|title=Selena's killer receives life sentence|publisher=CNN|date=October 26, 1995|access-date=August 17, 2015}}</ref> In 2002, under a judge's order, the gun used to kill Selena was destroyed and the pieces were thrown into [[Corpus Christi Bay]].<ref name="Gun">{{cite news|title=Southwest: Texas: Gun That Killed Singer Is To Be Destroyed|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/08/us/national-briefing-southwest-texas-gun-that-killed-singer-is-to-be-destroyed.html|access-date=September 27, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=June 8, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2002/06/11/gun-used-in-slaying-of-selena-destroyed/ |title=Gun used in slaying of Selena destroyed |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=October 26, 2011 |date=June 11, 2002 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004213707/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-06-11/news/0206110189_1_tejano-singing-star-selena-abraham-quintanilla-corpus-christi-bay |url-status=live }}</ref> Fans and historians disapproved of the decision to destroy the gun, saying the event was historical and the gun should have been in a museum.<ref name="biotexas"/>