Longmont residents Stephanie Alverez and David Montelongo have organized a community event in response to the murder of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen. The event to honor Guillen’s life, “give voice to her tragic death and empower change in our community” will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday on the west side of the intersection at Sixth Avenue and Main Street.
Alverez and Montelongo said they also have partnered with the Latin Task Force of Boulder County, Boulder County Collective and Northglenn Cares About Public Discourse “to bring many voices in the Front Range Community together to start healing.” Sunday’s event will include “expressions from local area artists” and a short march on Main Street. Speakers will include Longmont City Councilman Aren Rodriguez and Community & Neighborhood Resources Manager Carmen Ramirez. Additional community support comes from El Comité and Councilwoman Marcia Martin, according to the news release.
Guillen, a 20-year-old Mexican American soldier, went missing on April 22 from Fort Hood in Texas and was later found dead on June 30. Army officials at Fort Hood identified two suspects in her death, 20-year-old Spc. Aaron David Robinson of Illinois, and Cecily Anne Aguilar, a 22-year-old Killeen, Texas, resident, according to USA Today. Robinson died July 1 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Army officials.
Guillen’s family has maintained she was sexually harassed by superiors at Fort Hood, according to USA Today. Army officials have said there is no evidence linking sexual harassment to her disappearance and death.
“Vanessa will never be able to say goodbye to her parents or siblings, she will never be able to tell them she loves them she will never be able to have that love of embracement ever again,” Alverez and Montelongo stated in the news release. “Vanessa’s tragic death has also shined a light on Fort Hood and every day more and more soldiers are coming out about how they have reported sexual assault and harassment and how it was dismissed. It has also brought light to other soldiers’ disappearance and how Fort Hood has not made any efforts to find them or investigate their disappearances.”
They stated they “strongly believe that Fort Hood needs to answer for having a lack of urgency to find her and not pursuing an investigation as potential disappearance in Vanessa’s case. … Fort Hood failed to protect not only Vanessa, but all other soldiers that either have come forward with these claims … (or) who have disappeared and were violently silenced."
U.S. Army officials announced Friday they will begin an independent review of the command climate at Fort Hood following calls from members of Congress and community activists for a more thorough investigation into Guillen's death, according to the Associated Press.
