On April 2009, my only brother was shot and killed at a party. His name was Mario Oviedo. This happened in Boston. He was 18 years old at the time.
We came to Boston in September 2001 to have a better life. I was 12 years old, and he had just turned 11. I was actually skeptical to come to the United States because I’d watched the news about how the twin towers got attacked. My brother became part of the juvenile justice system at a young age. I don’t blame my parents, but this cruel criminal justice system.
As a gun violence victim, I don’t just move on with my life. I still carry with me the beautiful memories with my brother and also the grieving and the terrible memory of how his life was taken. We need stricter gun laws. A minor, who still has his/her brain developing, should not be able to obtain a gun that easily. We shouldn’t have leaders that are opposed to abortion and to gun control at the same time. This just doesn’t make sense. I do understand that this is all about power and money.