SoCal woman shares grief of losing sister in police shooting: 'What made you kill her?'

Although many Southern California families did not know Breonna Taylor personally, the pain is personal as they grapple with the loss of their loved ones who were killed in incidents involving law enforcement.

"I was crying because Breonna Taylor, I mean they walked into her house and shot her dead," said Trisha Shanklin. "They didn't charge the officers for nothing? This is exactly the feeling we've all been feeling."

Shanklin and her twin, Kisha Michael, immigrated for Belize to Southern California as children.

"My sister was a nurse. She was just a loving, caring person," Shanklin said.

Each had three kids, but Shanklin is now raising all six with her husband and mother. In 2016, her sister was killed by Inglewood police.

"For me as a sister and my mom, to still sit here and question all of this. Still no answers and no evidence," she said.

At the time, police released brief and ambiguous information stating officers saw Michael with a gun while in a vehicle with Marquintan Sandlin. However, authorities did not explain why officers shot and killed them both. She was shot 13 times.

Shanklin said the evidence was not provided to them and challenges the information released by law enforcement.

"What made you kill her? What made you kill them? That's the big picture," she said. "That's a distraction that the police put out on TV so people could think differently."

Under increasing pressure from community organizers, the five officers were fired.

"I'm happy to be a part of Black Lives Matter, and I'm happy that they was there for my family."

The officers filed a lawsuit.

ABC7 reached out to their lawyer, who has not provided a copy of the lawsuit. He said the civil case was filed based on discrimination and was on track for a jury trial sometime next year.

"They said they got fired because they was White," Shanklin said. Michael and Sandlin's families reached a settlement with the city of Inglewood.

"It doesn't replace a sister. It doesn't replace a mother," Shanklin said.

More than four years after Michael and Sandlin's killings, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey's office tells ABC7 that the matter remains under review.

Michael's family is one of many who demonstrate outside of her office weekly for law enforcement accountability.

"They need to get charged," Shanklin said. "How can you fire five officers but not charge them for negligence?"