NYAGV Activist Creates a Legacy for Her Heroic Work in the South Bronx |

Gloria Cruz, 48, has been at the forefront of the fight against gun violence in the South Bronx for the last five years. Cruz is the Founder and President of the Bronx Chapter of our partner organization New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. She also founded the annual Mott Haven Mother’s Day walk against gun violence in 2006. This march held in memory of young people killed by gunfire from illegal guns has become a pivotal event in the Mott Haven community, which has experienced staggering losses to random acts of gun violence. In April of last year, Gloria helped the NYPD and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office organize a hugely successful gun buyback in the Bronx. New York City police say the 1,186 guns traded in for $200 each has set a new city record for the most guns collected in a single day.

Gloria’s passionate crusade against gun violence was sparked in 2005 when a stray bullet fatally struck her 10-year-old niece Naisha Pearson while attending a neighborhood block party. Trying to bring something good from her pain, Gloria Cruz became an activist focusing specifically on random acts of gun violence caused by stray bullets. Since the death of her niece, Gloria has been able to dedicate herself full-time to NYAGV, not only lobbying for tighter gun laws, but also working hands-on in the community as a grief counselor for survivors and family members affected by gun violence.

Cruz faces a certain risk by campaigning for community members to reveal information about illegal guns and gun-related crimes. “Yes, I am afraid for myself,” she told the Bronx Ink. “But if we don’t do this, my niece will have died in vain. We make sure everything is anonymous, all the calls and tips. We speak and connect families. If we put a face to this stuff, maybe it will stop the nonsense. Bullets, after all, have no destination and they don’t discriminate.”

Read the full article from the Bronx Ink here.