Jeanne Llera, mother of Jorge Gomez, weeps on her husband’s shoulder during a vigil for Jorge Gomez at the Lloyd George Federal Courthouse in downtown Las Vegas Tuesday, June 9, 2020. Jorge Gomez was shot and killed by Metro Police officers in front of the courthouse during a George Floyd protest on June 1.
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 | 12:10 a.m.
Led by family members of the slain protester, dozens of supporters marched down the Las Vegas tourist corridor Tuesday night roaring his name: “Jorge Gomez!”
Gomez, 25, was shot and killed by Metro Police June 1 at the end of a George Floyd protest in front of the federal courthouse in downtown.
Officials say four officers opened fire after Gomez pointed one of the three guns he brought to the protest at them. There is no publicly known footage of the shooting.
The family is demanding justice for their loved one, and transparency from police.
They marched Tuesday down Las Vegas Boulevard, retracing Gomez’s steps during the protest where he lost his life. A vigil was held at the George Federal Building, not far from where Gomez was killed.
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Gomez’s family has ties to the U.S. military and they are staunch Second Amendment supporters, according to an attorney speaking for them. Several participants in Tuesday’s rally were seen carrying weapons, many without the magazines.
At the courthouse, demonstrators held three minutes of silence: one for the Black Lives Matter movement, which Gomez was supporting the day of his death; another for Officer Shay Mikalonis, who was critically wounded in an unrelated shooting tied to the June 1 protest, and the last one for Gomez.
At the vigil, the Gomez family set up a wreath and a poster board with photos of Gomez in various stages of his life: a couple as a young boy in baseball attire, and another as a young adult at a graduation.
After the third minute, loud “Say his name: Jorge Gomez” chants erupted, breaking through the sound of crickets and passing cars. Members of the Gomez family wept.
Gomez loved nature, dogs and avocados, family attorney Edgar Flores told the crowd. He was a selfless Las Vegas resident who would always give money to the homeless when he had it.
Flores urged those present to not forget Jorge Gomez’s name.
At the end, the Gomez family released avocado-themed balloons into the warm air. His mother put a hand on her chest and began to sob.
