Public memorial service followed by private funeral & burial announced for Vanessa Guillen
HOUSTON, Texas -- A memorial service for Fort Hood Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen will be held this Friday at the high school she attended in Houston, ABC affiliate KTRK reported.
According to the family's attorney, Natalie Khawam, the Guillen family will host a private funeral on Saturday, Aug. 15, and Vanessa will be laid to rest at Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home in southeast Houston.
Khawam said the memorial service will be held on Friday, Aug. 14, at Chavez High School's soccer field in Houston from noon to 8 p.m. The memorial service and burial are open to the public.
During a meeting between Vanessa's family members and President Donald Trump at the White House last month, the president told them that they have his support and that he will personally help with funeral expenses.
"If you need help with the funeral financially, I will help," the president told the family in the Oval Office at the time.
Before the meeting, family members expressed their purpose on taking Vanessa's story to the top.
"I don't want to hear another woman or man was found dead at Fort Hood. I don't want to hear another woman or man was sexually assaulted, abused or raped," said Lupe Guillen, Vanessa's sister.
Ahead of the meeting with the president, several dozen demonstrators joined the family at a rally calling for Fort Hood officials to be held accountable for Vanessa's death and for better investigations of harassment in the military.
"Fort Hood is supposed to be held accountable. Leadership has to be held accountable," said Lupe, while speaking to a crowd outside the U.S. Capitol.
Supporters marched from the rally at the U.S. Capitol to the White House.
"We are here to demand justice for Vanessa," said Khawam.
The proposed, #IAmVanessaGuillen bill, would let service members file sexual assault and harassment claims to a third party, rather than their chain of command.
