3 charged, P.G. shooting victim remains paralysed
Thirteen year old Rodney Borland remains on a ventilator, paralysed from the waist down, at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. The teenager was shot in his chest Friday night during an attempted hold-up at the family’s store in Punta Gorda. The bullet went through his spine and is lodged somewhere in the lower back. Today Elizabeth and Dale Borland told News 5 it’s painful to watch their son and they do not understand why anyone would want to harm him.
Dale Borland, Father
“It’s kind of shocking, I am still confused why this happen, because we don’t have any problems with anybody. And the way it happened, it’s like the guy just went into the shop, shoot him and went out back. He didn’t take anything; he didn’t do anything else, just shot him and went out. So it’s confusing, I still can’t understand why this happen. If there is any reason…for what reason I wouldn’t know.”
Elizabeth Borland, Rodney’s Mother
“Yes, he is paralysed from the waist down. According to the doctors here, he won’t get over that, that’s permanent damage to his body. He remains in a critical but stable condition.”
Jacqueline Woods
“When we say your son earlier this afternoon, we noticed that he was on a ventilator.”
Elizabeth Borland
“He cannot do anything without that ventilator, after the operation on his chest, the lungs and the pipe that goes down to the lungs. They did the operation and then they put on the machine and they are trying to take off the oxygen, the machine that helps him to breathe, but he cannot breathe by himself none at all.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Is he conscious?”
Elizabeth Borland
“Yes, he is conscious.”
The Borlands are asking the public to assist them in any way possible to help their son recover. If you would like to lend a hand, please contact them at telephone number 603-1459 or you can deposit your financial contributions into the Belize Bank account in P.G., number 5850. While the Borlands pray for their son, Punta Gorda police have arrested and charged three persons in connection with the shooting. Seventeen year old Kennedy O’Campus, a resident of the Indianville area, has been charged with attempted murder, attempted robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. Sixteen year old Gary Pratt, a resident of Main Street, has been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, keeping an unlicensed firearm and four rounds of unlicensed ammunition. And seventeen year old Dennis Trapp, a resident of Grapefruit Street, has been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery. While Trapp was granted bail, both O’Campus and Pratt were remanded to Hattieville prison. The case has been adjourned until November fourteenth.
