Gabriel Alonso, a Minor Who Was a Victim of the Confrontation on the Durango-Zacatecas Highway, Has Been Laid to Rest

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat 

On Monday, a posthumous tribute was held for high school student Gabriel Alonso, who died last week after being struck by a stray bullet in an attack by organized crime in the town of La Constancia, in the municipality of Nombre de Dios, Durango.

La Constancia is located about 51 kilometers from Durango City.

According to El Siglo de Durango, his mother, Beatriz Herrera, lamented his death and blamed "evil" for taking his life during the tribute at the José Vasconcelos High School.

At the ceremony, students, teachers, and school staff remembered the 12-year-old boy for his joy and love of soccer. One of his teachers described him as "a boy full of life, with beautiful eyes."

As part of honoring the boy's memory, a roll call was taken, and then the students released white balloons into the sky.

Herrera rejected the idea that her son's death was due to God's will and instead blamed the insecurity in Durango, which makes it impossible to travel without fearing for the lives of one's children. The woman also reported that instead of receiving support, she has been harassed by the authorities.

Gabriel Alonso's funeral was held on January 8th at the Durango Cathedral, after he died on a stretch of the Durango-Zacatecas highway during a confrontation between armed civilians and the National Guard.

The family was receiving assistance due to a mechanical failure when the officers were attacked.

Imagen Televisión reported that the minor and a National Guard officer, identified as Juan Ramírez, lost their lives in the confrontation that occurred on January 6th, Three Kings' Day.

La Constancia, Durango 

Source: El Siglo de Torreón