Mural pays tribute to 16-year-old killed by gun violence
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- Teenagers in Albuquerque are trying to spark change.
They created a traveling mural that they hope makes people think twice about taking a person’s life.
The mural is dedicated to Vanessa Ordonez.
She was 16 years old when she was shot and killed in Valencia County in 2018.
New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence came up with the concept, but students at South Valley Academy, past and present, took the idea and ran with it.
Many of the students could connect with Ordonez’s story.
"That’s more of a personal connection. My cousin was killed back in 2019," said Antonio Porter. "It was senseless– the way he died. That was my big motivator for this."
The mural will travel to schools around Albuquerque, and will be displayed at South Valley Academy in the fall.