Mother of slain man asks youths not to touch guns

Less than a week after losing a second son to violence, Isaura Mendes stepped back into the role of peace activist yesterday during her son's funeral, urging the city's youth to refrain from guns and violence.

''I've been crying for 10 years and I don't know how I'm going to be after this, but my family is strong," said Mendes, addressing about 1,000 people inside St. Patrick's Church in Roxbury. ''It really hurts. Young people, please don't take anyone's life and, please, if you are Matthew's friend, don't touch the gun."

Alexander ''Matthew" Mendes, 24, was shot in the back last Sunday during a drive-by shooting on Wendover Street. In 1995, his brother, Bobby Mendes, 23, was stabbed to death at Humphreys and Wendover streets.

Isaura Mendes was not scheduled to speak during the hourlong service. But she told the crowd, which included Mayor Thomas M. Menino, that she could not wait for another funeral to say what was on her mind.

She talked about the leisurely day leading up to her son's death, saying Alex spent his last night sitting on his porch drinking beer and listening to music. His mother said she learned of his death after attending a survivors' walk in Mattapan the next morning, when her daughter rushed into the house and yelled, ''Matthew was shot!"

Isaura Mendes said authorities prevented her from riding in the ambulance with her dying son. ''Maybe he would have got more strength, maybe he would have a half-hour more to live, and I could have talked with him. I couldn't talk to my son before he died."

The funeral was the community's second in three days. DoSouto, 25, was shot in the heart last week on Hamilton Street as he tried to break up a fight during a house party, police said.

Brian R. Ballou can be reached at bballou@globe.com.