Mom RIPS Woman Sentenced for Son’s Photoshoot Killing

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: You just only swear, the testimony you're about to give in this action shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth shall be done. Please be seated. Please go ahead and have a seat. And will you please state your name and spell it for the record. My name is Carolina. C-A-R-O-L-I-N-E. Gun. G-A-U-G-H-A-N. Good morning, Judge Blue, officer of the court, family, friends, and my friends. I'm Caroline Gun, mother of the victim Mark Santiago Gun, my one and only child. I became first-time mother at the age of 41. When Mark was born, me and my next husband Mike were thrilled, and the rest of the family and friends were so happy too for us. As parents, we want the best for our kids. Mark grew up going to church, and he lives in God. We taught him to be family-oriented. He loved and enjoyed our visit to our family in the Philippines, and also his dad's family. Mark had a beautiful heart, very loving, caring, kind, thoughtful, very friendly, funny, and outgoing. He's an amazing kid. Mark expressed his love to me in so many different ways. He always remembered to give me gifts and surprises on my birthdays, Christmas, Mother's Day, even no occasion at all. We always say good morning, good night, how was your day? I love you with big hugs. We do that every day, even on text and phone calls. Since his dad's passing, we had the motto of, we will stick together through thick and thin, and also me and you against the world. Assuring that we will always support, respect, and love each other. We don't have family here in the U.S., only the two of us. Mark even promised me that he will take care of me on my old days. Mark became the center of my life, my world, my everything. I tried to be mom and dad to him because I knew he was hurting in losing his dad. Mark is my baby that I love more than myself. I don't mind taking care of him even when he became a young adult. I pack his lunch every day, going to work, and make sure he have all his needs. I tried my best to guide and involve him to be a good person and be successful in life. I suggested that he go to school. He was able to finish phlobotomy course. But he preferred to work at the Nevada Distilling Company and doing professional modeling on the side. He learned to save and budget his own money. Mark had a lot of plans and dreams in life, like joining the military in the future and be a pilot, too. He is a hardworking young adult, and I don't see any hindrance in fulfilling his plans and dreams. I have also a visual and a great plan for his success. That's why I work hard so I can provide to him if he will need help. And even when I'm already gone, I'm still thinking of him. He will have all my assets, my hard work. Even if I wanted the best for him, he had his own life, desires, and choices. Mark, most of his choices were good that I supported. Some I did not agree. Like I did not agree on him getting a license to carry, CCW. Even I know at the young age, he was already trained to hunt in a gun with safety by his dad, a retired army. They go hunting together. He provided to me, he proved to me how responsible he was, and my worry was lessened. I became worried again when the convicted defendant, Ali, has an access on his gun. I'm so bothered, so I talked to both of them. It was a long talk, and she knows, she knows my concern. Mark told me that she knows the safety about guns. I tried to convince Mark to stop carrying that gun around her, but Mark trusted her. Last August 22, 2025, around 6 p.m., Friday night, that was the last time I saw my son alive. I'm going out with friends, and he told me, Ma, have fun, and I love you. Excuse me. He told me he was going out with the defendant, and I told him to be safe and enjoy the night, and give him a hug. Then when I got home, around 2, August 23, at 1.06 a.m., he was not home yet. So I texted him, hello, how are you, where are you, are you going home tonight? Let me know. Keep safe, and I love you. That's my last text to him. He replied, at 4.22 a.m., he texted him, no, not tonight, love you. The not tonight is forever, not tonight anymore. Then I went to sleep, thinking he will spend the night with the defendant. After his text, at 4.32 a.m., Mark, my only son, will be shot, murdered, killed, by the defendant at 5.04. Time of death of my precious son, 42 minutes after his last text to me. He will be forever gone. At 11.31 a.m., April 23, I got a recorded voice message saying, This is Alex from our county coroner's office, calling to speak with the mother of Mark. Upon hearing the coroner's office and Mark's name, I was stunned. I was shaking very hard, screaming and in agony. I was damaged in the heart and died with my son. I cannot believe what I'm hearing from the coroner's office. That call I will never forget until the day I die. After talking to the officer, I immediately called and texted the defendant repeatedly, but no response. I don't know her address. I was so lost and devastated. And none of the three people at the scene of the shooting had a human decency, compassion, or courage to have someone or anyone to contact me and tell me about what happened to Mark. The defendant had my number, and she knows where I live. She spent time and slept over in my house. I have to wait more than 24 hours before a police officer went to my house and informed me on what happened. My body and mind was shut down, cannot eat, cannot sleep. It was a nightmare. I was shattered, breaking down, and in shock. So painful. Even I'm in a state of shock and devastation. I need to inform my family and friends the sudden and tragic passing of my son. Everyone was shocked. My 91-year-old mother was hospitalized. I cannot believe that I'm making a funeral arrangement for my son, spending big funeral expenses. The pain in hearing the news on media and social media about my son is killing me. I have to make leave of absence from my work. So hard for me to do a lot of tasks because I cannot even focus. One of the very hard moments is I have to wait a week before I can see the dead body of my son. The agony of waiting. It wasn't the viewing when I saw him in the coffin. The pain I'm holding was unbearable. My heart was shattered. My poor baby, when I took care from pregnancy until he was 23, was lifeless. He was killed, he was murdered by the heartless defendant that my son told me that he loves her, a very wrong and unworthy person to love. The image of my son in the coffin will stuck in my brain forever. My life has changed drastically. I don't know anymore what is my purpose in life without my son. I cannot escape the tragic death of my son even though I spent five months in the Philippines. I will never see the bright future of my son. I lost the opportunity to have grandkids. No more memories to make. No more happy holidays, birthdays, and Mother's Days. He will never enjoy the fruit of my hard work. Mark's life and his future was captured by the heartless defendant when she decided to pull that trigger and kill my son. Now my life is ruined and broken forever. I'm mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically suffering every day. I'm a cancer survivor since 2007, but now because of stress, anxiety, depression, and lack of sleep, my cancer market is elevated. I have a lot of doctor's appointment, and lack of sleep, my cancer market is elevated. Sometimes I don't want to live my life anymore. No strong pills can give me a decent sleep since my passing. I lost a lot of weight. I will forever miss my son, his hugs, the sound of his voice, his beautiful smile, his thoughtfulness, his love, his care. Too many to mention that are in my heart right now. I miss my own self, too. The happy Caroline that was full of life is now gone. The severity of the damage or untimely death of my son is so huge and painful. Wherever I go, whatever I do, I cannot escape the tragic death of my son. 24-7, every hour, every minute, every second, the passing of my son is always in my mind. My heart and mind keep thinking about him. I'm dying multiple times a day. Staying in my empty house is unbearable. I keep on breaking down. I hope I hope this court will give justice to my son, Mark, and to me, too. And also to all who love and care for Mark, who are deeply affected by untimely and gruesome death of Mark. We don't deserve to suffer every day on what the defendant did to my precious son. The defendant, Ali Brea, should pay the maximum penalty for the consequences of what she has done to Mark. She is a danger to the society. She will continue to live her life after sentencing. But me, I will live with a life sentence of grief, of trauma, depression, stress, anxiety, brokenness, a nightmare I cannot escape until the day I die. My son will be forever 23. Mark, I pray justice will be served for you. Lastly, I request everyone, especially the defendant, not to talk anything about my son, my son, especially the false accusation. He is not here anymore to defend himself. Give him peace, respect. Mark, I love you and I will miss you so much from a grieving mom forever. Mark, I love you and I will be here. [00:14:13] Speaker ?: Mark, I love you and I will be here. [00:14:13] Speaker 1: Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here. [00:14:35] Speaker ?: Mark, I love you and I will be here. [00:14:36] Speaker 1: Mark, I love you and I will be here. Mark, I love you and I will be here.