That is unfortunate. It is hard to loose a family member, I know. But for the mother who was fighting for her country to have to return to BURY HER SON, and for his little brother, who looked up to him like that, it makes it even harder. There is nothing worse. I am glad you picked this story up, looking forward to watching the show and the coverage tonight. God bless her.

There are entirely too many of these tragic incidents taking place–it is particularly disheartening to hear of these young kids who have no involvement in gangs or crime getting caught in the crossfire. I’m not sure that Mayor Villaraigosa and Jamiel’s father should be so quick to dismiss racial tensions between blacks and Latinos as one of the possible reasons for this shooting–there have been similar incidents in Northern California–some have been gang related and some have not. I hope people in the community can work together to end these senseless killings, but it’s been an uphill battle so far.

This is an extremely sad story having someone that was senselessly killed who had so much promise. His family did all the right things trying to keep him on the right track and to have him taken away like this is a shame. I hope that they can solve this murder and give his family a little peace.

Looking forward to this report tonight.

Cynthia, Covington, Ga.

How sad…I still wish I could have told my friend Andrew not to open his hotel room door the night he was brutally stabbed to death. And that was 21 years ago. My thoughts and prayers are with the family as they deal with this huge loss. There is no excuse for the violent deaths of the future of our nation. It doesn’t say a lot to the world when we allow our citizens to kill one another while we argue about delegate vote counts, rip each other apart over presidential candidates, and concern ourselves with a news anchor’s haircut or which candidate he pushes for each night. Our priorities are so intact. God really does need to seriously bless America. And this young man’s death just proves it once again.

Something has to be done about the violence in this city. Our children can no longer play outside their own homes. It is heatbreaking.

Hi Paul,

I agree this is one of the saddest stories we’ve had lately. I am only grateful that the LAPD and, as a result, the local media, has started reporting gang violence more now. I believe the policy before was to not report on the gangs in the hopes it would quell the urge for gang members to commit copycat crimes for the “glory” of it.

But the millions of non-gang members in the city need to know about what happens and why so we can mobilize together and do more about it. It will not be easy, but if we have good leaders making good plans and hire about 10,000 more cops, maybe the tide will finally begin to turn.

Of course, we have to give these kids a decent education and jobs too, but I won’t bend your ear about that right now.

When these two are caught, if ever, real and swift justice should be administered. Upon conviction, hang them from a tree on the courthouse lawn and televise it for the entire world to see. That may sound harsh and cruel but, why should these punks deserve anything better. Eye for an eye, action for action.

So sad and so tragic for the family. I feel for the parents who were doing all they could to keep their son away from gangs and yet in the end the violence of gangs killed him. I can’t even begin to imagine what the mother coming home from Iraq to bury her son is feeling.

I hope the police can find the people that did this and at least have some justice for the family - though that is a small thing weighed against losing their son. I also hope that we can find some way to give these young people something constructive to do and a chance to have what they want out of life so gangs aren’t attractive to them and the gang culture dies. Its past time to stem the flow of our youth’s blood onto the sidewalks.

Annie Kate
Birmingham AL

My condolences Miss Shaw. May god bless your boy, and life he lived.

May the people of this country relize the root causes and make the choices that will begin to stop this madness some day soon.

Again my heart felt sorrow for your loss

Jimmy

my heart goes out to you and your Family. My brother was on his way to the store. when the blue devil crip gang felt he was a good canidate for a person who wanted to get in the gang to kill. he was 43,and a Father of 6. I don’t know what to say except my heart is intertwine with yours in this sorrow. I can only ask that god hold you and your family through these time, I am sorry your heart must feel this.

May God bless you Miss Shaw and give you the strength to deal with your tragic loss! My heart goes out to you!

Why is this mother in Iraq risking her life while whe have these no good for nothing bums here taking her young sons life. We need to go through these prison system and the streets gather them all up and put them over there to fight this war let the terrorist fight the terrorist. This is wrong! We got to do something about this.

My heart s saden to know there are still children running around killing one another.There parents should be held accountable for the bad behavior. Parents are not on there job anymore. Children telling Parent what they want to eat and how to dress.Parents not making the children come in at a time when things can get out of control. I remember as a little girl when the news came on it always said it 10:00 P.M. do you know where your children are at. Our parents knew where we were at. Now at 10:00 P.M. I told things just got started. My prayer are with the Shaw family at there lost and the persons that done this will be punish.

Dear Mr. & Mrs.Shaw and Thomas Shaw, yes, this is one of the saddest stories I have ever read. I wish you all the best for your family.

Bobby
Canada

May be Anita shaw well deserved this. Who knows how many parents lost their sons and daughters in Iraq because of our soldiers and anita shaw being in Iraq. God puts the same fate on to her family now. God Bless World and America!

My heart goes out to Miss Shaw and the rest of the family for the tragic loss of her son!We need to find a way to stop the violence, it is so tragic that the young children in America are killing each other for nothing!!!I lost my 16 yr old sister in June of last year, she was shot by her 16 yr old ex boyfriend…..We have to get the guns out of these kids hands!!!

My prayers are with the Shaw family and my God bless each and everyone of you!!!

I’m sorry for the Shaw’s loss.

Mrs. Shaw made a comment about gangs and that their activities are the equivalent to terrorism. I must agree completely.

We should treat these criminals as such, and prosecute them with the same passion as we would any foreign attacker. If people cannot live in peace within their own communities without fear of being killed without any provocation, then we are truly subject to domestic terrorism.

I look forward to the day when organized crime and gangs are eradicated from our lives, and to the day when the hammer of justice comes down hard on those people who have nothing better to do than to just spend their days planning out destruction and causing pain and misery.

Robert Padilla

It is terrible what this and so many other families around the country are feeling each and every day. Our country is being terrorized by our own children. Parents do not control their children. Schools do not teach our children. The government does not protect our children.

No one is willing to take responsibilty for preparing our children to act responsibly and be a part of our culture. We are raising a generation of gang bangers and this is the downfall of our society. Over the past few decades we have regulated punishing of children into a crime.

When people like this young mans’ parents take the steps necessary to raise a good citizen and a good person, it is the gangs created by the courts and legislators who come along and kill our future.

This is very, very sad story. Politicians in Washington never came up with the idea that gangs terrorize neighbourhoods and that they are actually terrorists as this young man’s grieving mother said in the interview. Is anybody in this country brave enough to start the war against crime and violence in this country. Why are so distant countries more important then our own? What plan do Senator Clinton and Senator Obama have to solve this problem?

How horrible this is! I lost my son to gun violence 3 years ago. My family is still trying to get back on track. Raising a good and decent child in this country doesn’t seem to count for much. Every year about this time the gangs go to war. It’s time for the lawabiding to stand up and say “no more”, and mean it.

To the family, I am so sorry for your loss. God bless you.

I agree that the gang situation has turned into a terrorist situation. They wear colors to let others know what organization they belong to, they arm themselves with drug money and put fear into the minds of innocent citizens, and kill without fear of destroying innocent lives. I think this country and our candidates should address this issue and make tougher laws to deal with these types. In georgia they want to band the use of pants below the waste, and now they say it’s discrimination against blacks, that’s a bunch of bull, it’s not a black or white thing, it’s about morals. If anyone wants to dress like that and associate them selves with these gang types, then they should also accept the fact that they are going to be stopped, checked, and scrutenized by law enforcement, it’s just all part of the game and they have to know if they want to look like that, then that comes with it. We as a nation have forgotten our family values and have allowed the music and film business to glorify this behavior. It’s almost gotten to the point of no return. if we do not stand firm and ban loud music in cars, pants hanging down in public, and gang related type actions, then we are sending a message to our youth that it’s O.K. to act and dress this way, and maybe even to belong to these terrorist groups that call themselves gangs. This nation has closed it’s eye’s to this homegrown terrorism and it’s threatening to destroy us all.

I just saw a CNN report on the Shaw family. At the end the mother made a profound and insightful comment: “The gangs are taking away our freedom…shouldn’t they be considered terrorists?” I believe this woman has given the US government a true way to view gangs in the USA. If you can get in touch with Mrs. Shaw, please encourage her to start an advocacy group that will move Washington towards achieving her suggestion! Thanks.

Jamiel’s mother made perhaps the most profound statement I’ve heard on terrorism: that people in gangs are terrorists. At first it sounded rather proverbial, but the truth to the statement has left me thinking very hard about the resources we are continually pouring into Iraq and the illusive terrorist battle as opposed to funneling those dollars into neighborhoods, AMERICAN neighborhoods, that need it more. Kids matter more than oil.

As a person who has lost a brother to gang violence I want to send my love and prayers to this family. Something Mrs.Shaw said stuck a nerve with me. She mention gangs being domestic terrorist. I whole heartedly agree. Gangs kill more innocent Americans everyday than Muslim extremist groups have killed here at home and abroad in just one year.

So where is the real war on terror?
Where is the real RED phone?

The war is in our own front yards !
The real RED phone hangs on the kitchen walls of homes all across America.

I read the Homicide Blog on the LA Times site and it reports daily occurrences of situations like this and it unfortunately involves predominantly Latino and Black men who are killed. I personally would be scared to be a young Latino or black male because of the amount of violence against them in this city. The only answer are the parents of these gang bangers. It’s their lack of involvement that creates most of these gang bangers in the first place.