The Inside Scoop

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Jamiel Andre Shaw, who was killed while his mother was serving in Iraq was a friend of my nieces and nephews. My sister just told me about it tonight. She said that when Jamiel was in the seventh grade, his mother had come to Mount Vernon Middle School, dressed in uniform to say goodbye. He was in my nephew's class at the time. My niece was best friends with his girlfriend and was present when they met. He was chasing the girls around the school and that is how they met. My nephew recently started attending Los Angeles High School and they met up again. My nephew says that while Jamiel Shaw was not in a gang, his friends were and he hung out with them. He crossed out the name of one of the gangs and they killed him for it. The girlfriend is taking it real hard and my niece who is very sensitive is upset because her best friend is so upset. Two of my nephews have already said that they will not attend the funeral. Jamiel's girlfriend wants my niece to go to the funeral, but she seems to not want to go. I told my sister to tell her not to go if she does not want to. I do not think she should go to a gang affiliated funeral at all. Then my sister told me that her husband went to Los Angeles High School with the father. She thinks that her husband should attend the funeral. I do not think that I should comment on that one. When I first heard the story, I was heart broken. Then I started thinking, no mother should be serving in the military. I feel that she should have been home tending to her family. Women are more careful when it comes to things like this. I am not blaming anyone. But men are more likely to let their boys get away with more because they want them to be a man and be tough. This is every mothers worse nightmare. I thank her for serving our country and I am so sorry about this happening to her baby. I can not imagine her pain.