108 King WIlliam

San Antonio, Texas

78204
T 210.440.7375
C 210.896.9141
deanne@mediajusticeleague.org
www.mediajusticeleague.org

July 14, 2010

Mayor Julian Castro, Police Chief McManus, Council Woman Ivy Taylor and County
Commissioner Tommy Adkisson;

We, the Media Justice League (MJL) are in support of Southwest Workers Union’s
call for a thorough investigation of the July 11th shooting at the SWU Solidarity
House and a commitment from city officials to reduce violence and promote safe
streets.

Southwest Workers Union calls on the City and the Police Department for a full and
complete investigation of the July 11th shooting at the SWU Solidarity House. We
will not accept speculative answers without concrete evidence, nor allow the case
to simply be written off. We further call for a commitment to safe communities and
neighborhood-led initiatives to eliminate violence and promote peaceful streets.

During the early hours of Sunday, July 11th members of Southwest Workers Union
(SWU) became the targets of a shooting that left a young college intern, James
Domingue, in critical condition. The shooting took place at the Solidarity House on
the 300 block of Idaho Street, which is part of the SWU complex on the Eastside of
San Antonio, and is home to several college students interning at SWU for the
summer. The house was sprayed with at least 25 metal-piercing bullets from an
AK-47, some of which went completely through the house’s front and back walls,
terrorizing the 8 people that were inside at the time.

James Domingue, 23, of New Orleans, Louisiana was interning this summer with
Southwest Workers Union, working on expanding the Roots of Change Eastside
Community Garden into a food justice urban farm co-op. The project brings healthy,
organic food to local residence and promotes household gardening initiatives. Living
near the site, he fell victim to senseless violence that harms the community well
being.
We ask the Mayor and the City for support for the victims and their families and
movement towards a unified effort to eliminate the root causes that breed violence
and poverty in our neighborhoods. We need safe streets and safe peaceful spaces
for people and organizations working towards social justice, and we cannot allow
such ruthless acts to go unnoticed. We will continue to raise our voices for real
justice in our communities and against all manifestations of hatred. And while we
call for justice, accountability and a full investigation of the ruthless and horrible
attack, we simultaneously emphasize the need for city support of community based
efforts aimed at root causes and reconciliation rather than further criminalization of
youth and people of color.

In community,
DeAnne Cuellar
Executive Director
Media Justice League