Soon, a large bronze bell will toll from a place of peace.

The College of Natural Sciences at Cal State San Bernardino will host the annual Day of Remembrance event at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at the Peace Garden to honor the 14 individuals — including five Department of Biology and Department of Health Science alumni — who were killed seven years ago during a mass shooting in San Bernardino.

The Peace Garden, located on the south side of the Chemical Sciences Building, was planted in memory of the fallen alumni. As part of the solemn proceedings, a bell will be rung 14 times to mark each victim.

“Each year, we take time to honor the lives that touched so many other lives both here on our campus and beyond,” said Sastry G. Pantula, dean of the college. “We stand together with the families and loved ones to mark this occasion as a time for reflection, solidarity and support to one another.”

To attend the on-campus event, please register beforehand at DAY OF REMEMBRANCE 2022. Attendees can also visit the event’s Coyote Connection post.

The Day of Remembrance will memorialize the following college alumni:

  • Robert Adams, Yucaipa (public health education, 2011)
  • Juan Espinoza, Highland (biology, 2002)
  • Shannon Johnson, Los Angeles (environmental health science, 2004)
  • Yvette Velasco, Fontana (environmental health science, 2013)
  • Michael Wetzel, Lake Arrowhead (biology, 2001)

The Peace Garden features a five-sided pedestal topped by a bell, with each side featuring a plaque with the name and degree information for each alumnus.

Michael Nguyen, a lecturer in the CSUSB teacher education and foundation program, rings the bell at the Peace Garden at the 2021 Day of Remembrance.
Michael Nguyen, a lecturer in the CSUSB teacher education and foundation program, rings the bell at the Peace Garden at the 2021 Day of Remembrance.

The other individuals who will be honored that day are Isaac Amanios, Fontana; Bennett Bet-Badal, Rialto; Harry Bowman, Upland; Sierra Clayborn, Moreno Valley; Aurora Godoy, San Jacinto; Larry Daniel Kaufman, Rialto; Damien Meins, Riverside; Tin Nguyen, Santa Ana; and Nicholas Thalasinos, Colton.

All 14 individuals were San Bernardino County Department of Public Health employees who were attending a training session and holiday gathering at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino on Dec. 2, 2015.

“We will cherish our alumni and all the lives lost in our hearts in peace,” Pantula said.

The event is traditionally attended by college faculty and staff, university leadership, and surviving family members and loved ones of the alumni.

For more information about the event, contact Yolanda Thomas at cns@csusb.edu or (909) 537-5300.