Lesandro Feliz “Junior” Guzman ran into The Cruz& Chiky Bodega seeking safety. As we all know, the Bodega owner, Modesto Cruz pushed Junior to the gangs and when he returned for help bleeding, again this terrified child was brutally turned away.
 
This horrific death went viral worldwide. A promise was made to the community and to the citizens of the world that the Bodega would be repurposed into a community center.
 
This promise gave our youths hope. Hope that the adults care, hope that this will never happen again to a youth, hope that this death represents thousands of Juniors and that this death will not be ignored unlike the structures we have in place worldwide for the Unknown Soldier- We know Junior, and  we all began to love and miss Junior. Many have sat up unable to sleep and wipe the images from their mind of how this boy was failed at every turn. 

On June 20th, 2018, he became our son, our brother, our nephew, our cousin.
 
That community center and the mural that is now part of this tragic loss could  become the lighthouse of Hope-

A series of images of Junior shock the world to the reality that is the  plague of violence that has become the “new normal” for our kids.
 
If we allow avarice to take precedence over our youths we send a message to our children that they are not safe, that this death was just a day in the life ---and that , "Yes, this can happen to you, my child."  Because the adults who have the power to make fantastic changes have fallen into a state of apathy.
 
WE NEED THIS BODEGA TO BECOME A COMMUTIY CENTER TO SENT A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE GANGS THAT THIS WILL NOT CONTINUE!
 
If however, we choose the path of one owner’s greed over the needs of the many, we not only send a message to our kids that their lives do not matter. We send a get out of jail card to the gangs that now that things are calmed down they can go about their regular business of waging terror, and death without being halted in their tracks.
 
We give the gangs hope while we steal hope from our kids. Whose future do you want to protect?
 
Do you feel that the Bodega is a small thing in the scope of this violence? Think of how this Bodega became a rallying place as people from all over the world came to pay their respect and lit candles of light and love.
 
This store should not re-open. A promise of $ 19 million dollars was set aside to fight gang violence. Taking over this Bodega and turning it into a community center is the first valid step to this promise to stand against gang violence. It will send a powerful, irrevocable message to the world that we take care of our own, that we are a country that will not allow these dark forces to maintain their toxic hold over our neighborhoods. and that we understand the importance of standing with Junior and all the Juniors that have fallen at the hands of madness.
 
We have to fight terrorism right here on American soil.
This is it! This is the call from Justice to make the right move towards that end.
 
Will you stand with Junior and all the Juniors that have been failed by a system that went on about their business rather than making a STAND?
 
This is the stand. This is the time; this is the hour.
 
You who have read this far understand that what the community needs right now is healing, what we all need is healing and we need to see the kind of bold changes that takes  the  unwavering courage of the generous hand of Justice.
 
Please sign this petition today and share it will your social media friends.
 
Tell the city of New York that this is not another death, that this is not business as usual and that the torture of this child must be memorialized and honored as the sacrifice it was to wake us up from the dormant state of apathy and hopelessness.