A legislation strengthening protections for home violence victims took impact on Mom’s Day.
Karina’s Legislation, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in February, addresses a number of dangers related to weapons and home violence. Legislation enforcement should now confiscate weapons from alleged abusers inside 96 hours of a choose issuing a safety order, and judges can problem a search-and-seizure warrant for firearms.
Advocates have lengthy fought for these protections. The legislation is called for Karina Gonzalez, who authorities say was fatally shot by her husband, Jose Alvarez, in July 2023. Her 15-year-old daughter Daniela was additionally killed, and her son Manny was injured.
Manny Alvarez was 18 when his mother was killed. Since then, he’s become a vocal advocate for stronger legal guidelines defending home violence victims in honor of his mother and sister.
A memorial for Little Village resident Karina Gonzalez and her 15-year-old daughter, Daniela. They have been shot and killed in July 2023 by Karina’s husband, two weeks after Karina had acquired an order of safety from the courts that ought to have led to the elimination of the handgun her husband owned.
Owen Ziliak/Solar-Occasions file
“An immigrant girl from Mexico, who labored dead-end jobs and survived an abusive husband, will now go on to avoid wasting the lives of different home violence victims,” he stated in an Instagram tribute to his mother.
“Your identify, mother, outlives the person who spent his life attempting to interrupt you … However you received. and I’ll spend daily ensuring the world is aware of it.”
Within the video, posted Sunday to coincide with Karina’s Legislation taking impact, Manny Alvarez stated his mother attended faculty in Mexico and dreamed of changing into a dressmaker when “she gave all of it as much as transfer to the U.S.”
“Mother, you handed earlier than you noticed me succeed,” stated her son, now 20. “Earlier than I may present you that your sacrifices weren’t in useless. However nothing can damage me now. Not after seeing the 2 individuals I like most on this world in a casket.”
Jose Alvarez was charged with first-degree homicide, tried homicide and aggravated battery from discharging a firearm. He pleaded not responsible, and a trial date has not been set.
