HOUSTON — A post office in Houston may be renamed in honor of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, who was killed on Fort Hood in April 2020, according to a news release from the office of Sen. Ted Cruz.
The possible renaming comes after Cruz and Sen. John Cornyn introduced the Senate companion to House Bill 224, which was sponsored by Houston Rep. Sylvia Garcia.
The bill would rename the 5302 Galveston Road post office in Houston as the Vanessa Guillen Post Office Building. Guillen was a Houston native.
"By renaming a Houston post office after this fallen soldier, we commemorate Vanessa’s life, legacy, and service to our great nation," Cruz said.
Guillen was killed in an armory room on April 22 by fellow soldier Aaron Robinson, according to a criminal complaint. Her remains were not found until June 30.
The complaint says Robinson, along with his girlfriend Cecily Aguilar, dismembered her body and buried the remains near the Leon River in Bell County.
Robinson shot and killed himself in the early morning hours of July 1 as Killeen police attempted to take him into custody.
Aguilar is awaiting trial in a federal court in Waco.
Guillen's death launched an intensive review of Fort Hood's and the Army's policies on investigating sexual harassment and assault.
Guillen told her family she was being harassed but didn't report it for fear of retaliation.
The Vanessa Guillen Act, also known as Texas Senate Bill 623, was signed June 16, 2021 by Gov. Greg Abbott and became state law on Sept. 1.
The bill, filed by Sen. Cesar Blanco, aims to protect military members who report sexual harassment and sexual assault without fear of retaliation, lack of confidentiality or concern that nothing will be done.
A similar bill at the federal level was passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act in December 2021. It allows victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military to report incidents outside of their chain-of-command.