A decade has passed, but it’s a never ending nightmare for a Central Coast man. His son, Christopher Michaels-Martinez, was one of the 6 people who died, and the 14 injured in a May 23, 2014 rampage in Isla Vista by a mentally ill man.
"People tell you to get over it, but I don't want to get over it....I don't want to. Chris was the only child I had. I don't want to forget him," said Richard Martinez.
Martinez said his 20-year-year-old son was a gifted athlete who gave up sports for academics. He wrapping up his sophomore year at UC Santa Barbara, and was preparing to study overseas.
"He had applied to, and was accepted at Queen Mary University London, and he was very excited about that," said Martinez. "The last time I spoke to Chris was the night he was killed, about two hours before. One of the things we talked about was what was he going to take with him," laughed Martinez. "He told me don't worry about it...I'm going to take a weeks worth of clothes in a duffel bag."
The San Luis Obispo County man says his son wanted to become a lawyer. Both parents were lawyers, and Christopher was around it all his life, and loved the idea.
But all that changed on May 23, 2014. A mentally ill young man angry that he couldn’t connect with women went on a rampage in Isla Vista. Six people died, and 14 were injured as he stabbed, shot, and ran over people with his car before finally killing himself.
The senseless rampage shocked the world. At a news conference just after the attack which killed his son, Martinez spoke, ending his comments with the word “Not One More.” It turned him into a national spokesman for efforts to end gun violence.
"Some say there's no problem, or no solution, or more guns is the solution," said Martinez. "There's this idea that more guns will make us safer. But, there's already more guns than people in the United States, and they certainly haven't made us safer."
Martinez believes there has been progress. He cities legislation passed in California shortly after the 2014 attack which sets up a legal path to keep guns out of the hands of someone who is mentally unstable.
Martinez helped rally Americans to send hundreds of thousands of postcards to elected leaders which said “Not One More.” He gave up his legal career to work for the non-profit Everytown for Gun Safety. While he recently stepped back from full time work on the campaign, he said he will never give up the fight.
"Every opportunity I have to speak out on this I'm taking, and every volunteer opportunity I have I'm doing," said Martinez. "It just takes the political will to sit down and look at what makes sense, while respecting the rights of gun owners.
If he were alive today, Christopher Michael-Martinez would be 30. His father thinks his son would be proud of the efforts to make something positive come from the horrific attack.
His memory is also being celebrated thru a UCSB scholarship in his name, which goes to an English major committed to social justice issues.
