Local activists held a march and candlelight vigil Thursday in memory of Vanessa Guillén, a 20-year-old soldier stationed at Fort Hood whose remains were found in Texas last month.
The march, hosted by 1Hood Media, started in Downtown Pittsburgh. Dozens of participants, most of whom were wearing masks, walked from the 1000 block of Liberty Avenue to Katz Plaza, where the vigil started.
“I want all of Pittsburgh to know her story. I want everyone to say her name,” said Brittney Chantele, a recording artist for 1Hood.
Guillén’s dismembered remains were found about 20 miles east of Fort Hood, but authorities said she was killed on base. Investigators said the suspect in the murder, a fellow soldier, has killed himself.
Guillén’s family has said she was the victim of sexual harassment by her peers in the Army.
Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt, Fort Hood’s senior commander, said military investigators are in the midst of an ongoing sexual harassment investigation and will take action on any findings.
The grisly details surrounding the disappearance, murder and alleged harassment of Guillén resonated with Chantele. Chantele, who served in the Army National Guard, said countless young women who serve in the military were harassed and assaulted during her career.
The hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen was created as a symbolic representation for thousands who “can, unfortunately, relate so closely” with Guillén’s story, Chantele said.
1Hood, which describes itself as “the vanguard of arts and activism,” is a collaboration of “socially conscious” activists and artists who use art to raise awareness of social injustices with the goal of inspiring people push for change.
