Kayla’s Legacy: ‘The Power of Us’
An inaugural event that organizers hope will bring the community together to remember and pay homage to a murdered teen will take place next weekend in Cape Coral.
“The Power of Us” will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. next Saturday at the William “Bill” Austen Youth Center in memory of Kayla Rincon-Miller, who was shot to death in the Cape two years ago. The Power of Us is a joint project of Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers and Kayla’s House, a non-profit started by Kayla’s family and friends.
Organizers say the goal for the March 14 event is to unite the community’s young adults to show that teens have the power to create change against gun violence.
Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers Manager and a Board Member of Kayla’s House, Patricia Routte, said she hopes people will come out for several reasons.
“First, we hope that they’ll come out to honor the memory of a beautiful life taken far too soon,” she said. “Kayla never had the opportunity to pursue her dreams and goals, and we want to ensure that her memory lives on and that her death was not in vain. We want to show young adults, in a fun and informal way, how making positive choices and speaking up can make all the difference. We want to show them that they have the power to enact change against gun violence. We’re going to have games and fun activities, but we’re also going to be doing a question-and-answer panel with law enforcement and school leaders where attendees can ask questions and have positive conversations about a difficult topic. We’d love to see a lot of community support that day.”
Routte said the event completely stems out of the love of the memory of Kayla, as well as the unified dedication to making the community safer and helping empower teens to make good choices so that they never have to endure the pain and loss that Kayla’s friends suffered at the hands of gun violence.
“When Crime Stoppers first met Kayla’s family, there was an immediate connection and we knew that we wanted to help in any way possible,” she said. “The relationship just grew from there, and from those first get togethers came the idea for The Power of Us and doing something that could help make a difference, and make Kayla proud.”
As well as games and activities for teens throughout the day, the event is to include a question-and-answer session during the afternoon with local authorities and victims.
“We want the question-and-answer part of the event to serve as a platform for young people to ask questions and to usher a healthy discussion about gun violence and the role that everyone has,” Routte said. “We’re also hoping that adults will offer their thoughts, as well. We see this as an informal opportunity to discuss a difficult subject, and hopefully get everyone on the same page. We want every single person who attends to leave the event feeling empowered to make a difference.”
Regarding gun violence in Southwest Florida, especially amongst youth and how detrimental these acts of violence can be for all involved, Routte said she can speak from personal experience.
“I have sat with so many families who have lost someone at the hands of gun violence and it’s beyond tragic,” she said. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, you just can’t imagine the horror of losing a child. As a parent, you have dreams of seeing your child graduate from high school, falling in love, getting married, pursuing a career and having a family of their own. But then senseless gun violence rips that away. So, if there is something that we can do to help prevent that from happening to one more family, we will do it. Young people can make the choice of speaking out when they see or hear of a young person who has a gun. Just saying something can prevent a tragedy from happening. And for adults, there is a responsibility that comes with gun ownership. If you have a gun, keep it locked up — always. Don’t create a situation where your gun can fall into the wrong hands, especially the hands of a young person.”
Kayla’s House was formed out of love and commitment to keeping youth safe, Routte said. The non-profit status was just approved a few weeks ago, so it’s in its very early stages, but the goals are clear – “to do outreach to young people about the consequences of gun violence and to empower them to make a change.”
Rincon-Miller, 15, was shot and killed in March of 2024 after she and two friends were walking to get food after watching a movie at the Coralwood Mall. Police say she and the girls, who were unharmed, were ambushed by individuals who jumped out of a car and attempted to rob them.
A pair of Cape Coral teens were arrested in connection with Rincon-Miller’s death.
Thomas Stein and Christopher Horne Jr., who are both now 18, were given first degree murder indictments by a Lee County Grand Jury in late 2024.
They were also indicted on three counts of attempted robbery — possession of a firearm.
Horne Jr. pleaded no contest to second-degree murder charges in September of 2025. He is set to be sentenced on May 19 and could face up to 25 years in prison. As part of his plea, he must testify in the trial against Stein
Stein’s trial is set to begin on April 27.
For the Southwest Florida community, it’s paramount to remember Kayla, to keep her sprite alive, and help other youth learn from her unfortunate and tragic death, organizers of the event said.
“We hope that she is proud of how her family, friends and community have bonded together, in her memory, to do something positive that makes a difference,” Routte said. “Everyone in Kayla’s orbit was impacted by her death. Her family first and foremost has undergone, and continues to undergo, pain and sadness and utter loss. Her friends experienced a devastating event that they never imagined could happen to them. Because no one ever thinks it will happen to them — until it does. We hope that her death has served as a reminder to everyone in our community the importance of keeping guns locked up where young people cannot get a hold of them.”
The William “Bill” Austen Youth Center is at 315 SW 2nd Ave., in Cape Coral.