A doctor's wife and mother of five, Dora Cisneros led an ordinary suburban life in Brownsville, Texas. She lavished attention on her youngest daughter, Christina. So when Christina's heart was broken, Dora took matters into her own hands.

Mary Thompson was a prominent figure in the Eugene community. She was outspoken about her son's struggle to stay out of gangs and about the dangers other children in the community faced. She even teamed up with a popular high school senior, Aaron Iturra, to educate other students on gang violence.