Chandler airman killed in suspected domestic violence incident, family calling for answers
CHANDLER, Ariz. - The family of 21-year-old Natasha Aposhian, an airman from Chandler killed at a North Dakota US Air Force base, wants answers about her death that loved ones suspect was connected to domestic violence.
Her father is calling for Congress to help make policy changes protecting men and women in the service.
It's been more than a month since the deadly Air Force base shooting in North Dakota. The other airman who died has not been called a suspect while Aposhian is named the victim.
Her loved ones say this is a clear domestic violence incident saying she feared for her safety.
"The last thing that we did say to each other was 'I love you,'" said her father, Brian Murray.
He made sure to say those words to his daughter on June 1, the very last time he would be able to.
US Air Force officials say Aposhian was shot and killed in a dorm on the Grand Forks Base later that night. 21-year-old airman Julian Torres also died in the incident.
With no suspects at large, he has not been named as Aposhian's killer, but investigators confirm she is the victim.
Loved ones believe Torres is responsible.
"We wanna know where this guy got the gun from. Was it a military-issued gun? Was it one he had on his own? And we wanna know how he got it in the dorm," Murray said.
He says his daughter became fearful after just breaking up with Torres. "She just said that this guy was pretty volatile, very controlling. Just in the short amount of time that they knew each other, the relationship was not going anywhere and that's the reason why she ended it."
Calling for change, Rep. Cesar Chavez, vice president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators is trying to get support from Congress to help the Aposhian family find answers.
"We're calling for an external investigation conducted by the Department of Defense and the Armed Services Committee in Congress both in the House and in the Senate," Chavez explained.
Murray says the Air Force Office of Special Investigations is calling this a homicide case.
He wants his daughter's memory to spark system-wide change. "I think as far as our servicemen and women, they should feel safe, especially on a US base. That should be the safest place on earth," he said.
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations won't release any more details calling this an open investigation.
There's a vigil set to be held the night of July 15 in Grand Forks organized by a North Dakota lawmaker.