It’s Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, but the first week in May will always and forever commemorate the death of my cousin Stephen Guillermo, a 26-year-old senior at San Francisco State University in 2014.
SF State and other state schools around California and the nation were made for students like Stephen. An immigrant from the Philippines, he worked his way into the American educational system. But then after high school, his father died of cancer. As the oldest son, Stephen took it on himself to provide for his mother and siblings. He worked full-time supporting the family. It put him on the 8-year plan for college. SF State accommodated him well.
With weeks before his graduating, the celebration was beginning. After a night on the town, he got back to his apartment building in the South of Market where he was gunned down.
Right building, wrong apartment. Enter at your peril if a gunman is on the other side. In California’s perverse version of “Stand Your Ground,” you get a free shot if an intruder crosses your threshold.
A single shot got Stephen for life. His killer spent three nights in jail and was let go.
The DA, a Democrat, didn’t want to test the law. Or the NRA. So a poor person gets shot by another poor person. No harm no foul.
Would it be different if it were in a posh section of San Francisco among scions of a wealthy family?
