A Mid-afternoon Murder in the Old Capital, Stephon McLaren is Gunned Down
Stephon McLaren
A single gunshot ended the life of a young father this afternoon. Stephon McLaren and another unidentified individual were standing near the corners of New Road and Cleghorn Street and had just been frisked by a police officer when gunfire erupted. McLaren, who was waiting for a friend who had walked up the street to purchase food, was reportedly shot once to the back of the head and fell motionless on the pavement. Despite being rushed to the K.H.M.H. via ambulance, McLaren would not survive the deadly attack. It is unclear whether the other person who was with him was also injured. McLaren was executed just a stone’s throw away from where his girlfriend and their daughter resides. News Five’s Isani Cayetano has that story.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Another youth has lost his life senselessly to gun violence in Belize City. Stephon McLaren was shot and killed this afternoon as he stood near the corners of New Road and Cleghorn Street. Residents in the immediate vicinity report that a single gunshot was heard sometime around two o’clock.
Voice of: Friend of Deceased
“He was at my house just a minute ago, so I tell ahn I gwein down di street go buy. Soh he tell me wait pan ahn Ms. Shawna because I wahn go buy too. Soh we walk down to the fence deh weh di shooting happen and he meet wahn young man weh he know and dehn staat to talk. Soh I tell ahn, “Let’s go with me.” Ih seh, “Go through Ms. Shawna, I wahn wait ya fi yo.” Soh I gaan da Kick Down gaan buy. When I reach Kick Down I hyah di gunshot so I immediately run come back, then I sih ahn pan di ground di bleed from ih head and ih mouth.”
It appears that McLaren, a resident of Cran Street, had been shot once in the head.
Isani Cayetano
“Do you know if he had any kind of differences with anybody up di street as to why he would have been targeted in such fashion?”
Voice of: Friend of Deceased
“He had wahn previous lee problem with one ah di young man weh live da di same house. He come way eena fu we yaad fi ahn once, ih seh ih wahn kill ahn. So I guess da mussi ova dat, I noh really sure.”
Isani Cayetano
“Now it’s unfortunate that you are reliving this same incident six months…”
Voice of: Friend of Deceased
“Yeah, six months ago my boyfriend get shot same way pan Wilson Street. Soh I noh know weh di happen, I just want this stop. Dah wahn close friend of mine. When ih cohn da fu we house we heng close. Da my niece boyfriend and thing. So I just want like this lotta killing stop. Ih noh fear cause we just walk up di street. Dehn just di tek people life fi nothing, you know. I got mi own children so I just feel it.”
Isani Cayetano
“I understand that he was with another young man when the shooting happened?”
Voice of: Friend of Deceased
“Wahn nother young man mi di sihdown pan di fence weh he mi di talk to. So he tell me go head because he stop and talk to the young man and then I gaan head to the shop and then I hyah di gunshot when I reach di shop.”
It is speculated that the murder of Stephon McLaren may have been the result of drug activity in that area, particularly the sale of marijuana. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
