The city is reeling tonight - because the gang war is on. There have been two murders in less than 24 hours - and the second one is a shocking execution of a teenager in broad daylight.
19-year-old Stephan Castillo was working at a mechanic shop when he was targeted for a ruthless killing.
7News was on the scene - and so was his devastated mother:
19-year-old Stephan Castillo collapsed and bled out here on Faber's Road after he was gunned down in a broad daylight shooting.
It is believed that he tried to flee from his assailant by taking cover between these vehicles, but the crime scene itself clearly indicates the gratuitous violence that ended his life.
Law enforcement had to place 20 crime scene markers to track all important pieces of evidence, as well as the more than a dozen bullets that were fired at him.
While the Scenes of Crime personnel were gathering their evidence, Castillo's mother and elder brother showed up to confirm their worst fears. They had to console each other after seeing his lifeless body riddled with gunshot injuries.
His mother told us that she visited him a few hours before the gruesome murder.
Stephanie Gabourel - Mother of the Deceased "He goes there to help someone with mechanic, that's all I know and then from there he comes home and he bathe and changes his clothes and he goes, so he doesn't really stay here but his stuff is here but he doesn't live here. All he told me this morning that he was going to work, so he asked me to bring a pants for him and I came and have him the pants and he said when he's doing from there he's going home because he said somebody get shot last night and he no want be on the street to make nobody you know."
According to his mother, he has been living with a friend, and that he made a decision to move out so that his other siblings could have more space in his mom's small house.
Stephanie Gabourel "I believe he doesn't live with me because he gave his sister and his brother their space, so he went to stay with a friend and that's all I know about him but besides that he no kill, he no steal, he just hang out with company and I have always talked to him about friends but whoever killed him, god no the sleep just remember that."
Daniel Ortiz "Did he have any specific friend that you were not comfortable with him socializing with?"
Stephanie Gabourel "Well he does have one or two friends come here but they are not bad friends, I feel comfortable with him because they no lead him to do wrong things, so I don't know why they kill him, I don't know if he have an altercation with someone, I do not know because I work, so most of the time I am out, I still am at work, after 4 I would be coming home and then sometime I don't even meet him here."
Daniel Ortiz "How many other siblings does he have?"
Stephanie Gabourel "He has 7 brothers and one sister."
Daniel Ortiz "How are you even able to maintain composure at this time to even talk to us?"
Stephanie Gabourel "Well, I have to be strong for my little kids because they are the ones that I have to live for and I ask god to give me the health and strength."
His mother insists that as far as she knew, he was liked by the people who knew him because he was friendly and helpful. She also added that he would routinely offer her a helping hand with finances from his salary as a mechanic.
