Adrian Jesus Maldonado
Age 17
Dallas, Texas
Always the “son of my life”
He was the oldest in a big family. Two brothers. Two sisters. A mother who called him “hijo de mi vida,” the son of her life.
On February 25 the siblings gathered as they had the 17 Februaries before, meeting friends, cutting cake. This time, they weren’t celebrating. At sunset, the crowd joined hands, “We have to let you go,” someone shouted. And 18 balloons met the Dallas sky.
Balloons for a “dreamer.” For an “adventurer in love.” For Adrian Jesus Maldonado, 17, who, on December 3, 2018, was shot and killed in a Texas motel room.
