A scholarship fund launched in memory of 17-year-old Santino Israel Gonzalez will help aspiring barbers pay for training, months after the Kansas City teen was killed in a shooting that left five other people injured. The fund is also keeping alive a career path Gonzalez had already started pursuing from home.
The Santino Gonzalez Memorial Barber Scholarship Fund was created by Gonzalez’s family and the Youth Peace & Justice Foundation, according to KSHB 41. Its purpose is to help young people attend barber school and build careers in a profession Gonzalez hoped to join. The initial fundraising goal is $5,000, with recipient details to be announced after that target is reached.
Gonzalez Had A Barber Chair In His Room
Gonzalez was known for cutting hair in his Kansas City, Kansas, neighborhood, where his family said children regularly lined up for haircuts. His mother, Melissa Gonzalez, told KSHB 41 that he had a barber chair and light set up in his room and that ‘he loved cutting hair.’ His sister, Alexis, said the family now feels unusually quiet without the teenager’s energy around the house.
Scholarship recipients are expected to be chosen based on financial need, commitment to barbering and a desire to serve their communities. That last requirement echoes the way Gonzalez’s family describes his work: not as a formal shop, but as a neighborhood service that connected him with younger kids.
According to the Kansas Board of Cosmetology, licensing is intended to protect consumers’ health and safety, adding a regulatory component to the training aspiring barbers may need. The Kansas State Board of Cosmetology regulates both the cosmetology profession and its educational institutions, according to the Kansas Office of the Governor. Nationally, the median hourly wage for barbers was $18.73 in May 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The foundation behind the fund, formerly known as the Uvalde Foundation for Kids, describes itself as a national nonprofit focused on youth violence prevention, advocacy, community crisis support and scholarships. The organization’s broader mission, outlined by the Youth Peace & Justice Foundation, makes the barber scholarship both a memorial and an investment in young people’s futures.
Police Investigation Remains Open
Gonzalez was killed on Feb. 21 after officers were called to the 4900 block of College Avenue just before 10:15 p.m., according to The Kansas City Star. Police said a gathering at a residence turned violent after an altercation escalated into gunfire, leaving Gonzalez dead and five other people wounded. No person of interest had been identified and no one was in custody in the early investigation, and police have since confirmed the case remains ongoing.
Anyone with information can contact Kansas City homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or submit an anonymous tip through the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers hotline at 816-474-TIPS. The Kansas City Missouri Police Department says anonymous tips can also be submitted online or through the P3Tips app.
