The city was still pulsing with its usual Monday energy when everything changed in a single burst of violence. People were shopping, talking, weaving through crowds beneath glowing storefronts. Among them was 20-year-old Mariana Gómez, clutching a neatly folded résumé she hoped would land her a new job.

She had plans that evening, plans for her future, plans she never imagined would be interrupted. She chose a busy hour to walk down Fifth Street—a place she’d always felt safe…..CONTINUE READING IN BELOW

But safety vanished in seconds.