Who Killed Toony and Why?

Malik "Toony" Gibson

There’s one other murder to report tonight. In the City, a resident of the south side was shot multiple times and succumbed at the K.H.M.H.  Malik Gibson, also known as “Toony,” was shot over the weekend and died soon after. His death, according to family members, was foretold. Gibson is a member of south side’s Ghost Town Gang and the suspect in detention is from the rival gang: PIV. The twenty year old resident of Flamboyant Street was riding home when he was killed, execution style. His family members while grieving are stunned, but not shocked at his execution. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Voice of: Karen Hemsley, Grandmother of Deceased

“I talk to ahn, ah tell ahn Malik, even recently ah seh Malik, “Weh yo di do out deh Malik?  Out deh rough, yo wahn get dead out deh.”  Ih seh, “Nana well when di time cohn yo just bury me.”  Dat da how he tek life, right.  But dah like yo try talk to ahn fi try mek ih change ih life, but ih neva listen.”

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

The murder of twenty-year-old Malik Dixon comes as no surprise to friends and family.  What they did not know was when the inevitable would occur.  Despite numerous attempts by Karen Hemsley to steer her grandson in the right direction, those efforts would all prove futile when a gunman caught up with him on Saturday night.

Voice of: Melanie Staine, Mother of Deceased

“I call ahn and I ask ahn, ah seh, “Weh yo deh? Ih seh, ‘Ma ah di go home, ah deh by Third World deh by Vernon Street.”  But di voice like mi di go down and then I seh mek sure yo text mi, as yo reach mek sure yo text mi.  And di phone gaan off.  So wah lee while afta wah young man cohn weh ih mi borrow ih bike mussi, yo know, fi use and he ask me, ih seh, “Ms. Mel, goodnight, Malik lef wah bike ya?”  So I tell ah seh, no cause ih mi borrow ih bike so I tell ahn no.  So he seh well ih wahn come back and di lee bwai gaan.  So we call back but when we call back fi seh well cause ah di bike, ih gaan straight to voicemail and when we call again afta dat da because wahn lady from [Accident and] Emergency ansa and then she seh, well I tell ahn I di call fi Malik.  And then she seh who me and then I tell ahn I da ih ma and then ih seh, “Ms. yo haffi cohn da [Accident and] Emergency.  And da so we gaan and when I gaan wah police officer seh well, ih explain to me and seh well ih get shot and ih dead.”

Toony, as he was otherwise known, was on his way home when he was accosted and fired upon while riding a bicycle on Flamboyant Street.  Senior Superintendent Chester Williams.

Chester Williams

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams

Regional Commander, Eastern Division South

“Sometime around eight-thirty p.m., thereabout, police received information of a shooting on Flamboyant Street in the St. Martin de Porres area and upon responding they were told that the person who had been shot has been transported to the hospital.  Police later visited the hospital, K.H.M.H., where they observed one Malik Dixon, twenty-years-old, suffering from gunshot wounds.  He later succumbed to his injuries and his body now lies at the K.H.M.H. morgue awaiting a post mortem examination.”

Dixon’s mother admits that he was a member of the Ghost Town Crips.  Whether or not he was mortally injured by a rival gang member is still an open query.

Voice of: Melanie Staine

“Yo know Mayflower/Ghost Town and PIV no ‘gree so I noh know.”

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams

“He was met by a person who is affiliated with the PIV gang and that person fired multiple shots at him, some of which caught him and resulted in his death.”

Reporter

“That sounds as if though you have a suspect.  Can you say?”

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams

“Yes, we have a person of interest we are looking for at this time but we’re not going to release the name of that person but we expect that we should have that person in custody very soon.”

Since taking over as Regional Commander of Eastern Division South, Williams has been busy mediating between feuding gangs in Belize City.  Is Dixon’s murder a sign that police intervention has failed?

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams

“I would not say that it symbolizes a breakdown in terms of what we are trying to achieve with the different groups across Belize City.  As I’ve said from day one that we will be working with those who are willing to work with us and those who want to continue to perpetuate criminal acts then we will pursue them.  I must say that the groups with which we have been doing a lot of work they have not done anything to show that they are not willing to work with us.  And even in situations where their patience is being tested, like for example, this current situation, the people from the Mayflower area their patience is being tested.  Despite that I have remained in constant dialogue with them and they have pledged that they are not going to retaliate, they are going to leave it for us, the police,  to deal with.”

Voice of: Karen Hemsley

“Whosoever kill ahn, who shot ahn, I woulda tell dehn dehn noh kill ahn, di good Lord mi ready fi ahn and ih gaan peacefully.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.