Families of homicide victims kick off Gun Violence Awareness Month
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico Crusaders for Justice is teaming up with the city’s Violence Intervention Program to focus on children, and it all starts with a pledge – children promising to stay away from violence this summer.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and APD Chief Harold Medina both signed the pledge, along with the founders of the crusaders. The organization works with families impacted by gun violence to help bridge the gap between law enforcement and the families.
Sally Sanchez, one of the co-founders of the organization, says they’ll work with VIP throughout the summer.
“This summer, they’re putting on a bunch of events for the youth to get them more involved in positive activities, and away from the guns and the violence. So for the kids who take the pledge, it’s them saying that they’re going to stay away from the guns, they’re going to get involved in the activities that the city and the county are going to put on,” said Sanchez.
The crusaders know the pain of losing a loved one to violence. As we enter Gun Violence Awareness Month, that wound is still fresh for many New Mexican families.
“My son Nathan was taken from me. This is my son,” said Kina Kozlowski, a member of New Mexico Crusaders for Justice. “He was lured to an apartment building, where he was murdered.”
Kozlowski’s son, Nathan Barela, was murdered April 15, 2023.
“The person that murdered my son was arrested four and a half months after he shot my son. So he is in jail now, and we are awaiting trial,” said Kozlowski.
The suspect is 43-year-old Isaich Lujan. He charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
Kozlowski says Nathan didn’t know the suspect. She feels her son would be alive today- if it weren’t for issues with pretrial detention in our state, more commonly referred to as the revolving door law.
“My son was a victim of the revolving door. The guy that killed my son had just been out of jail for 48 hours for another violent crime. Not murder, but another violent crime, which apparently was a very long streak in his life of violence. They let him in, they take him in, they let him out. They take him in, they let him out. What does it take? Somebody getting murdered, I guess,” said Kozlowski.
Shortly after losing Nathan, Kozlowski joined New Mexico Crusaders for Justice and has been able to lean on them for support.
“When people ask how we are, and we say it’s a horrible day, they know exactly what we’re talking about. Or if you tell somebody that that doesn’t know exactly what you’re talking about. It’s just nice to be understood the grief that we have when our children are taken away from us,” said Kozlowski.
The organization also connects families with law enforcement to help move their cases forward. But for Kozlowski, no amount of jail time can make up for the loss she feels every day.
“I have a life sentence that no matter what I do, it’s handed to me for the rest of my life. And the people that get out in just a short time, I think it’s very unfair to us,” Kozlowski said.
For many members in the crusaders, they carry part of their loved one with them in a support bear.
Kozlowski explained just how much something as simple as a toy can mean for grieving families.
“He’s got his voice. I have his ashes in here and my son, he has a heartbeat because my son was shot in the heart. So he goes with me most places. Everybody wants to always know what he’s wearing, and why do you have his glasses on his head? Well, that’s almost every picture that he has. His glasses were on his head,” said Kozlowski. “I can talk to him, I can cry with him. I can hold him. The things I can’t do with my son anymore.”
As of Saturday night, Isaich Lujan is in jail. His trial is set to start Nov. 11.
If you want to learn more about the “Summer of Nonviolence,” click here.
MORE: