Laken Riley remembered at 'Run for Your Life' 5K and campus memorial
Hundreds gathered Saturday at Tate Plaza on the University of Georgia campus for the "Run for Your Life" 5K and a memorial service marking two years since the killing of laken riley, an event organizers and family said was meant to honor her life and press for continued safety measures.
Laken Riley remembered at Tate Plaza
Early-morning runners filled the area near Sanford Stadium for a ceremony that combined a commemorative 5K with a memorial and worship service. Organizers included a campus student group and the Laken Hope Foundation. Family members and community attendees shared reflections and faith-based remarks during the public gathering.
Two years since laken riley
Family members spoke about Riley's role in their lives. Her sister described a close bond and said faith helped guide the family through grief. Riley was identified in event remarks as a nursing student who was killed while jogging on campus on Feb. 22, 2024; the person convicted in the killing, Jose Ibarra, was convicted and sentenced to life without parole in November 2024. Organizers and relatives used the anniversary to emphasize memory over politicization while also noting legal and safety developments tied to the case.
Safety investments and legal impact
The event featured remarks from the author of recent legislation named after Riley that changes how certain undocumented noncitizens charged with or convicted of crimes are handled by federal immigration authorities. Speakers at the memorial described the law as mandating detention in many cases. Department of Homeland Security data cited at the event noted more than 17, 500 criminal undocumented noncitizens were arrested and detained for crimes covered by the legislation as of late December. The University of Georgia committed $7. 3 million for campus safety enhancements after the killing, including a 20% increase to the campus police budget and the installation of emergency call stations, automatic license plate readers, additional lighting and fencing.
Organizers and community response
The 5K and memorial were organized by a campus conservative student group alongside the Laken Hope Foundation, a nonprofit led by Riley's parents. Foundation materials used at the event indicated contributions fund safety awareness programs for women, scholarships for nursing students and health initiatives for children. Hundreds took part in the run; event registration figures cited at the gathering numbered in the high hundreds.
What comes next
Speakers framed the gathering as both a remembrance and a checkpoint: family members urged that Riley be remembered for who she was, while organizers pointed to the law and campus investments as steps intended to prevent future tragedies. If the legislative detention rules and the university safety funding remain in place, those observable measures suggest continued enforcement and campus upgrades will be part of the longer-term response. Other details about future events or program rollouts were not disclosed at the memorial and remain unclear at this time.
