KSBY News  |  June 23, 2023

Victor Gomes had a long history of domestic abuse. When Christy Camara filed for divorce from Victor, she was granted sole custody of their 10-year-old son, Wyland. In response to that ruling, Victor threatened to hurt himself and Wyland, resulting in a restraining order against him for both Christy and Wyland.

Christy’s attorney, Joseph M. Alioto Jr, says Victor Gomes then purchased a pistol, something he should not have been allowed to do under the restraining order. Victor ultimately took his life and the life of their 10-year0old son, Wyland. Christy is still haunted by the loss of Wyland.

“How could somebody take a gun and put it to their child’s head and pull the trigger?” Christy asked.

Christy Camara is now suing the California Department of Justice (which denied her requests for details about the gun sale and the background check on Gomes), and Kings County (where her son was murdered).

Alioto represents Christy Camara Gomes, whose 10 year-old son Wyland was shot and killed by his own father, Victor Gomes. When Gomes applied to buy the gun he later used in the murder-suicide, he was under an active California restraining order prohibiting him from purchasing firearms. Notwithstanding the restraining order, the Department of Justice approved his background check, allowing Gomes to buy a gun he should never have been permitted to acquire.

Since 2021, Alioto has been tirelessly pursuing the Department of Justice, the State of California, and the Superior Court of Kings County to discover how and why the State allowed a man to arm himself while he was under an active court order preventing him from buying guns. Alioto has sued the Department of Justice for refusing to provide records that would explain the government’s error. (Christy Camara Gomes v. Dep’t of Justice (S.F. Superior Court), case no. 22-CPF-517886 [access the case by inputting the case number into “Civil Case Query” here].) Alioto has also sued the Superior Court of Kings County, the State of California, and the Department of Justice for Wyland’s wrongful death. (Christy Camara Gomes v. State of California, et al. (Kings Co. Superior Court), case no. 23CU0424 [access case records here].) Together, Alioto and Christy seek to hold the government accountable and ensure the errors that led to Wyland’s tragic death are never repeated.

Sign MoveOn petition for Wyland’s Law