HENRIETTA, N.Y. — An all-star flag football game honored the memory of Axel Hernandez, the 4-year-old boy killed by his father in a murder-suicide in Greece in January.
News10NBC’s Declan Stablow went to the game at the Athletic Campus in Henrietta. All money raised at the event went directly to Axel’s family.
Axel’s family said he loved sports and would have enjoyed the event. Kids ran around playing in green, one of Axel’s favorite colors.
Axel’s family says it’s special to see kids running around playing just like he would.
Axel’s mother, Alexis Hernandez, said events like this help the family express their love for him. The family started a petition to set Axel’s Law in motion, hoping to prevent similar tragedies.
The law would require a proactive approach after credible warning signs a child of domestic violence may be in danger. The petition has more than 13,000 signatures.
“It’s just an attempt to try to make it better for other families. Now that I’ve been in this situation, you know, felt really helpless. Reaching out to law enforcement,” Hernandez said. “And I just want law enforcement to have better intervention measures and better risk assessments so that they can better help people that are feeling fearful of somebody.”
Once the petition reaches 20,000 signatures, it will be sent to lawmakers. The family said they have a meeting set up with Assemblyman Josh Johnson to discuss the law.