How a Los Angeles County family used their grief to help others

The murder of a young woman in Venice Beach left a family broken. However, her loved ones used their grief to help others. 

In 2020, Cortyln Bridges' daughter, 28-year-old, Ky Alicia Thomas was shot and killed outside a scooter and bike rental shop on the famous boardwalk. 

"I was with my sister when she was murdered," Kamryn Saltus said. 

Kamryn was enjoying a day with her older sister who had just given birth. Prosecutors said another group confronted Kamryn, Ky and the people they were with. The confrontation escalated into gunfire, which struck Ky and killed the new mother. 

Kamryn and her mom faced months of a painful investigation and a trial that ended without a murder conviction. Instead, the suspect was convicted of conspiracy to commit an assault with a firearm. Nonetheless, the two continued to move forward by building a nonprofit in their loved one's memory. 

Bridges started the Ky Alicia Thomas Foundation with Kamryn. On the National Day of Remembrance in September, they brought community support groups together in a Pasadena park to raise awareness for victim rights and the ongoing issue of gun violence. 

The pair want to victims to know that they are not alone, so much so that Kamryn slightly changed her dreams to help others. When her sister was murdered, Kamryn was studying to become a defense attorney. Since then, she's decided to pursue a career as a prosecutor. 

"I want to be the voice for victims," she said.