A Hartford family is calling for justice. Their loved one was shot and killed while getting something to eat in the middle of the day.
Police have some leads, but community leaders hope people will come forward with what they know.
Guillermo Gonzalez enjoyed spending time with his large family, many of whom lived in the same building on Zion Street.
“He was such a good man. He was amazing,” said Mylee Baker, Gonzalez’s niece.
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Loved ones say the 59-year-old grandfather had been through a lot lately. They say he barely survived COVID-19, two strokes and other medical issues.
Last week, he and his wife walked outside their Hartford home to grab food at the bodega in the same building when gunshots rang out. Police said Gonzalez was an innocent bystander.
“It’s very difficult, especially my mother saw the whole thing. My mother saw how he died, how they shot him, everything,” said Vicky Figueroa, Gonzalez’s stepdaughter.
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“The minute he decides, ‘Hey, let me get a little sun and come outside and grab something to eat,’ and now he’s gone. These are the senseless acts that people think it’s okay to do in this world, and it’s not."
-Joanna Rodriguez, niece
At a vigil Monday night organized by Mothers United Against Violence, family and friends lit candles, wrote messages of love and grieved.
“It’s really hard. He’s going to be missed a lot,” Figueroa said.
Mayor Luke Bronin said the city grieves with the family and that police have some leads in the case. He said they also continue to tackle gun violence in the city on many fronts, including working with community partners.
“This is not a problem that gets solved overnight, and there is no single or simple solution to it. We’re going to continue to tackle it on as many different fronts as we can, as aggressively as we can,” Bronin said.
For Gonzalez’s family, it’s still hard to believe their loved one could be taken this way. They said they’ll remember him as a giving and loving man who always put family first, and they want to make sure he gets the justice he deserves.
“With everything he’s gone through, for somebody so senseless to come around that way and take his life, trust me, we’re going to get justice,” Rodriguez said. “Justice will be served.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Hartford Police. You can remain anonymous.
Two other homicides in Hartford happened over the past few days, bringing the city's toll to 15 so far this year.
