LOS ANGELES TIMES — Muchos de los que conocían a Jonathan Martínez se acordaban de él por una sonrisa contagiosa que desmentía una vida difícil.
El niño de 8 años nació con el síndrome de Williams, una condición genética rara que puede resultar en dificultades de aprendizaje y problemas médicos como enfermedades del corazón y del riñón. Ya se había sometido a una cirugía de corazón.
Ver a Jonathan superar estos desafíos hace que su muerte repentina y violenta dentro de su clase de educación especial, en San Bernardino, sea aún más difícil de entender, dicen sus amigos.
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North Park student Elijah Beaven attends a candlelight prayer vigil with his mother, Laura Beaven.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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North Park Elementary School Principal Yadira Downing is comforted after the candlelight prayer vigil on the school’s playground.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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The mood is somber as hundreds of residents, students and faculty attend a prayer vigil on the playground of North Park Elementary.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Adrian Newton of San Bernardino attends a candlelight vigil at North Park Elementary.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Students spend time at a memorial near North Park Elementary after a prayer vigil.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Adrian Newton, 8, of San Bernardino brings a bouquet of flowers to place at a memorial for shooting victims Jonathan Martinez, 8, and Karen Smith the day after the two were shot in a classroom at North Park Elementary School.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Ellie Paez places homemade “Stars of Hope” along the fence at North Park Elementary School.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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A young boy pays his respects at a makeshift memorial for the shooting victims at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
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Bobbie Haywood, who lives in the neighborhood, stops by to pay respect at a makeshift memorial for the shooting victims at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
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Denna Lopez and her 9-year-old son, Raymond Lopez, brings a stuffed animal to place at a makeshift memorial for the shooting victims at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
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A sidewalk memorial in front of North Park Elementary on April 11, 2017, a day after a gunman walked into a classroom and opened fire on his wife, a teacher there, also wounded two students, one of whom died, and then killed himself.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
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Betty Rodriguez hugs her granddaughter Giselle Rodriguez, 11, during a prayer vigil outside Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church for the victims in the shooting at North Park Elementary School.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Residents hold a prayer vigil outside Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church for the victims in the shooting at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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A child rests his head on his father’s shoulder during a prayer service at Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church for the victims in the shooting at North Park Elementary School.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Parents wait to be reunited with their children at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Children walk in single file to be reunited with parents at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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A parent and child hug after being reunited hours after a shooting inside North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Parents are reunited with their children at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Children high-five on their way to be reunited with parents at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Parents are reunited with their chidlren at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Parents are reunited with their children at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Parents are reunited with their children at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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A police officer leads children to be reunited with their parents at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Parents are reunited with their children at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Parents are reunited with their children at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Children high-five on their way to be reunited with parents at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Children high-five on their way to be reunited with parents at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Parents are reunited with their kids at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Children high-five on their way to be reunited with parents at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Parents are reunited with their children after a shooting inside North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Parents are reunited with their children at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Parents are reunited with their children after a shooting inside North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Children high-five on their way to be reunited with parents at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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A SWAT officer stands guard with evacuated children on the playground at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino after a shooting in the school.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Summer Terrell hugs her daughter Jaylah James, 5, after being reunited with her at Cajon High School hours after a shooting inside North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Parents are reunited with their children who were evacuated after a shooting inside North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Children high-five on their way to be reunited with parents at Cajon High School after a school shooting at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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A woman is tended to outside North Park Elementary School.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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San Bernardino police officers help evacuate children to awaiting school buses after a shooting inside North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Children are led across a playground, holding hands. Students were being evacuated to Cal State San Bernardino’s physical education building.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Children are evacuated from North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino. Two injured students were airlifted to a local hospital, authorities say. One student later died.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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SWAT officers stand guard with students waiting to be taken to Cal State San Bernardino. Parents were directed to go to Cajon High School, where officials will verify their identity before sending them to the college to pick up their children.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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SWAT officers walk through the playground after a shooting inside North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Evacuated students and teachers gather on the playground after a shooting inside North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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A San Bernardino police officer puts up crime scene tape after a shooting inside North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Diane Abrams, que trabajó en la clase de necesidades especiales donde Jonathan era alumno, dijo que ella lo recuerda como [un niño] “lleno de vida”.
“Él era tan especial como alumno....Tenía curiosidad por aprender y siempre quería hacer lo mejor posible. Era todo un hombrecito pequeño y amoroso. Se sentaba con las manos cruzadas en su escritorio mirándome, y decía:
“Sra. Abrams, ¿soy una estrella? “, comentó.
La semana de Jonathan había iniciado como siempre para la mayoría de los niños: fue dejado en la escuela por la mañana después de haber pasado el fin de semana jugando con amigos y familiares, según los vecinos.
Pero todo cambió cuando un hombre armado entró el lunes por la mañana en el salón de clases en la Escuela Primaria North Park, en San Bernardino.
Alrededor de las 10:27 de la mañana, el individuo disparó en 10 ocasiones un revólver Smith & Wesson, y na de las balas hirió fatalmente al menor, mientras estaba cerca de su maestra, Karen Smith, quien también fue asesinada.
El sujeto era Cedric Anderson, esposo de Smith.
Un empleado de la escuela vio a Anderson y lo reconoció como el esposo de Smith. Siguiendo el protocolo normal, le pidió que se identificara y le permitió caminar sin escolta al aula. Una vez dentro, comenzó a disparar, deteniéndose una sola vez para recargar el arma, y luego se disparó él mismo.
Jonathan fue trasladado a un hospital cercano pero murió antes de entrar al cuarto de cirugía. Un niño de 9 años identificado como Nolan Brandy también recibió un impacto de bala, pero ya está en condición estable.
Los compañeros de clase quedaron atónitos ante lo ocurrido.
Jeffrey Imbriani, de 7 años, dijo a la agencia Associated Press que todavía estaba tratando de procesar la muerte de su amigo y amigo de fútbol.
“Lo conozco porque un día él se acercó a mí y me dijo, ‘¿Podemos ser amigos?’ Y yo le dije, ‘Sí’, y hemos sido amigos desde entonces”, dijo. Pensaré en él como un muy buen amigo”.
Los consejeros se reunieron con los padres y los miembros de la familia el martes por la mañana. Durante todo el día, su patio delantero estuvo lleno de vehículos de amigos y vecinos que vinieron a dar sus condolencias.
Las personas que tienen síndrome de Williams a menudo sufren retrocesos médicos y cognitivos, pero el trastorno también puede inspirar empatía en aquellos que sufren de ella. Muchas personas con este síndrome, especialmente los niños pequeños, son conocidas por su amabilidad, dijo Terry Monkaba, director ejecutivo de la Asunción del Síndrome de Williams.
“Todo el que les sonríe es su amigo”, dijo Monkaba. “Tienden a notar las pequeñas cosas que te hacen sentir bien, como un vestido nuevo. A menudo son considerados como alcaldes [líderes] de su escuela primaria”.
Algunos científicos creen que la amabilidad de las personas con síndrome de Williams se utiliza como un mecanismo para disminuir sus ansiedades.
El trastorno es causado por falta de genes, incluyendo uno que desempeña un papel en la formación de la proteína elastina, lo que conduce a la célula de crecimiento excesivo y los problemas alrededor de las arterias y los vasos.
Las personas con síndrome de Williams pueden tener discapacidades de aprendizaje de leves a severas, pero los niños con el trastorno no suelen estar en programas de educación especial, dijo Monkaba.
“Hoy en día, más y más niños con síndrome Williams se incluyen en las aulas regulares con algunas adaptaciones”, agregó.
Se estima que alrededor de 25.000 personas en todo el país tienen el trastorno.
Monkaba dijo que aunque ella no conocía a Jonathan personalmente, su deceso es algo que la gente en esa comunidad siente personalmente. La muerte de Jonathan, “por no tener sentido y ser tan trágica, hace que sea mucho más difícil [de entender]”, dijo.
El primo de Jonathan creó una página de GoFundMe para ayudar a la familia a cubrir los costos de funeral; hasta la publicación de la nota se habían recaudado más de $117,000.
Mary Wilson, que vivía al otro lado de la calle de la familia Martínez, describió a Jonathan como un niño bien educado y querido. “Nunca salió del patio cuando jugaba fuera”, dijo.
Bobby y Janet López caminaron de la mano a la casa de la familia Martínez el martes por la tarde con un ramo de flores blancas. Ellos han vivido en el barrio durante 50 años y han sido vecinos de la familia Martínez por más de 10. Tratando de esconder sus lágrimas, Bobby López dijo que solo quería mostrar apoyo a su vecino.
“Podíamos sentir su dolor y sabemos que no podemos quitarlo, pero estamos aquí para apoyar en lo que podamos”, dijo.
Former Los Angeles Times staff writer Melissa Etehad is an Iranian American who enjoys writing about national and international issues. She received her master’s in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s in international affairs from UC San Diego and has reported from the Middle East and Europe. She previously worked at Al Jazeera English and the Washington Post’s foreign desk, where she covered the intersections of politics, religion and gender. She’s a native Farsi speaker.
