Vigil for Wallingford mother and son killed outside house fire – NBC Connecticut

Friends and family gathered for a vigil Friday night to remember the lives of a Wallingford mother and her son.

They died in their home before a fire broke out last month. Police said the father was also there despite being ordered to stay away.

As messages of condolence and remembrance were delivered, family members remembered Karizmah Johnson and her 9-month-old son, Kylenn Varnado, outside their Wallingford home.

“It was just a beautiful soul. “Her spirit was just beautiful and her personality showed it,” said Nichelle Bass, Johnson’s aunt.

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She saw her as a daughter.

“She is not my niece. She is my child. That’s what she meant to me. It’s like losing a child,” Bass said.

According to Wallingford police, both Johnson and Kylenn died before a fire broke out in their home last month. 24-year-old Justin Varnado also died in the fire. Although he was not blamed for her death, officials say Varnado was arrested for domestic violence several weeks earlier and received a protective order banning him from the home.

Family members wondered why this order didn’t keep him away.

“We can put someone in prison and they can be released on parole and given an ankle bracelet. “We have AI and everything else and GPS and everything else to track someone and we can’t do anything for women?” said Sofia Perez, Johnson’s aunt.

The vigil was organized by domestic violence advocacy group Vivan Las Autonomas. They say victims of domestic violence, particularly black women, are at risk.

One organizer said she wants to see action taken to strengthen protective orders and for police to provide more answers.

“Whether their perpetrator is alive or not does not change the fact that the police remain responsible for the investigation,” said Vanesa Suarez, founder of Vivan Las Autonomas.

As Johnson’s family continues to wait for answers, the sense of loss remains.

“The pain will last for a long time. A long time,” Bass said.

Wallingford police say the cause of the fire, as well as the causes and nature of the three deaths, remain under investigation.