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This is after her 25 year-old son Shaquawn Almendarez was killed yesterday at his gate. It happened at 5:30, and by 5:45, he was at the KHMH dead - his 28 year old brother Jason had died right there 11 days previous at 5:55 pm. When he died, his mother turned us away - saying she was doing it to save her son's life. But, it didn't help, he was marked for death - and his killers carried it out. So, today, with two sons' dead - one fresh in the grave and another in the morgue - she invited the media for a sort of street-side press conference.

Karen Almendarez - Mother of Deceased
"I remember when they killed my first son, Jason Almendarez, I declined all interviews to protect my other son. So now, I am willing, and I want them to see my face."

Daniel Ortiz reporting
That was the resigned demeanor of Karen Almendarez as she spoke candidly about the murder of 25 year-old Shaquawn Almendarez, her second son to be killed by gun violence in less than 2 weeks.

Her elder son, 27 year-old Jason Almendarez, was shot and killed on October 10, and yesterday, his younger brother, Shaquawn, was gunned down at the entrance to his gate on Electric Avenue. Understandably, the grief of the double tragedy has pushed this family to the limit. Via the press, Karen Almendarez released her message for her son's killers. She suspects that it is the same person who orchestrated the murders of her sons.

Karen Almendarez - Mother of Deceased
"This is what I have to tell this big fish. If you think I'll be on the street, begging for money, smoke cigarettes, sleep on the street side, or walk crazy, or go to Rockview Hospital, no. God is my strength. I fear no one but God. You sent your "cronies' to take out ' Tala."

"Shaquawn Brandon Almendarez, you took him down in front of my gate. This gate right here. You sent - you never had the heart to come to come to my door mouth. You never had the heart to go to Jasmine Street and kill my next son."

"I will be strong, and I will bury my son strong. I shed all my tears, and I will keep on shedding my tears, but the big fish, peace be with you."

She also recounted the details of Shaquawn's killing yesterday, explaining that she was in shock.

Karen Almendarez - Mother of Deceased
"All I heard, was pow, pow, pow. My oldest son is on the door, 'Bwai, you shot my F***** brother! But, I have my granddaughter in my hands on my bed. My baby was crying, and then, my other daughter ran from out of her room, 'Mom, stay in here. Moses, 'Lock the F****** door. They were going off. I was not hearing. I wasn't seeing. It was like I was blanked out to everything. When I did return back, I sprang out of my room, went through the front door. I don't even remember if the gunman was still around or what. I just flew downstairs. When I came by the gate, my son was gasping blood. All I did was turn his face on the other side so that the blood could come out."

"One of the next neighbours came. My son put him in the car, and then the police came. To tell you the truth, I was so mad with the police because my son was asking them for protection. They told my son that they can't give him any protection, and they were taking him for a clown."

"I was so mad. So like, I took out all my anger and frustration. I never really meant to disrespect them that kind of way, but to tell you the truth, the police doesn't have any kind of respect for us. So, we won't have any respect for them."

But, this is a family that desperately needed protection - because there were direct exchanges with an underworld figure:

Karen Almendarez - Mother of Deceased
"Jason never got any threats, but after Jason died the Tuesday, the Wednesday, 'Tala' started getting threats. The Saturday, we buried our son, and the Saturday night, my son called the Big Fish, and my son was talking to the big fish."

"Like he was pleading to him. 'You are a big war; I am only me.' The big fish told him, 'That's how it happened, and that's how it will happen.' And all that he told the police as well. But, as I said, they took him for a clown. From the GSU came here and took him for a clown."

"The GSU came here, and teased him. "Talla", you are next. The 'Big Fish' says that you are next. You are going down. Just the same way they killed your brother, you are going down, no protection. They took him for a clown."

11 months ago, the now deceased Shaquawn came to us to complain that the GSU were harassing him.

File: November 21, 2016
Shaquawn Almendarez, Claims Police Harassment
"In 2013, they came and did the same thing; they came, plant weed on me, want me to give them a gun, they want money. Nothing is going on with me. Then they charged me and I went to court, they gave me a quick trial and I got 3 years and I went to jail. I just came out of jail and the same thing is happening again."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"They must have a reason. They must have some actionable intelligence that are going on?"

Shaquawn Almendarez, Claims Police Harassment
"I don't know. If I had that why did they took me in another yard to search me? Why don't they deal with me in my yard and what you find you deal with me and charged me."

Apparently, the reason the cops were interested in him was because of his proximity to the marijuana trade, something which his mother alleges the cops were also intimately involved in.

Karen Almendarez - Mother of Deceased
"I raised my kids as a single mother to be cool, calm and humble. That's how I raised my kids, people love to blame parents. I never blame a parent for their child. And I will never come here say, 'Oh, my child was a good child. My child didn't kill anybody. You live by the gun, you die by the gun. You live by the sword, and you die by the sword, but they are not like that. They don't get involved in gang. They don't affiliate with anybody. They might spend their time for the weed. I will not tell you any lie. I never wanted to say it, but let me say it outright. Some of the same goddamn police come here. 'I want you to sell this for me. What you make, we'll share it. Some of those same goddamn police come here, and bring it here for them to sell it."

But at the end of the day, this mother carries the grief of having to bury yet another son.

Karen Almendarez - Mother of Deceased
"When they killed my son, and I went back upstairs. I got some money, and I went right to the Chinese shop. And I told him to give me a pack of candle. When he gave me the candle, he told me to take it. I lit all the candle, and I read the 23rd Psalms 4 times, and I read the 27th Psalms 5 times. I raised my hand to God, and I said, 'Without you, I could never do this. One last week, and now 1 again.' I asked him to just give me that strength."

Karen Almendarez told us that she is now burying her third son, with 6 of them still living. She says that she is concerned that her family may still be in danger.