The mother of a young man murdered six years ago has sent a heartfelt message of sympathy and advice to Bermuda's latest wave of grieving moms.

Four men have been shot dead in the past month in suspected gangland killings.

Marsha Jones, whose only son Shaundae Jones was shot in April 2003, said yesterday: "Since this has been happening so often, it's really opening old wounds for me.

"Over the Christmas period, I cried most of the time. It tears me up to think about it, how painful it is. All these young people are losing their lives, and they're taking out a whole generation and they're not even aware of what they're causing their families I don't think.

"These families are left behind to suffer the consequences of their loss, and nobody's considering this."

No-one has been convicted for killing Shaundae, who was targeted as he left Club Malabar in Dockyard. His killing came three months after giving evidence relating to the stabbing death of Tekle Mallory at Paget Ice Queen in 2001. No one has been convicted of that murder either.

The latest spate of killings prompted Ms Jones to pen a heartfelt open letter (see page four) to the grieving mothers left behind. In it, she tells them: "I'm so very sorry. I feel and understand your pain. It's such a lonely place to be."

She advises them how to cope, explaining: "I miss my boy every day. My hardest time is Christmas, his birthday he would have been 27 on January 16 and the anniversary of his death.

"When I feel really low, I try my best to find something to look forward to, or spend time with some of his friends and talk about the good old days we shared with Shaundae. That helps me get through that day, because you have to take one day at a time. Don't try to be brave. Talk about him with someone who cares about your loved one."

Ms Jones also urges anyone who knows people caught up in the gang lifestyle to tackle them about it. And she pleads: "If you know about some wrongdoing they have done, report it. It might just save their life. Being in jail for a few years is better than being in the grave. They can't turn their life around from the grave."

Sending a plea to those who've engaged in the recent spate of violence, Ms Jones said: "I'm sure most of the perpetrators out there who have killed someone wished they had never done it because of the havoc it's caused their life, and they feel threatened and unsafe. But they can't fix it and go back to the graveyard and say 'I'm sorry, can we go back and talk about this.' It's too late.

"Think about your own mom and think about what she will suffer and go through if you were to lose your own life. When you stop and think about that, maybe you'll realise it's just not worth it. You need to stop this."