Son Son is Murdered on Kut Avenue, Residents Fear Reprisal

Nimrod Fitzgibbon

A young, furniture repairman was gunned down not far from where he lived in the vicinity of Supal Street over the weekend and residents are fearful that his murder may set off a spate of related shootings.  Nimrod Fitzgibbon was no stranger to the law, and his influence within the Supal Street neighborhood did not go unnoticed by the Belize Police Department.  It’s for this reason that efforts are being made to prevent any form of reprisal in the wake of his execution.  News Five’s Isani Cayetano has that story.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Thirty-year-old Nimrod Fitzgibbon was a short distance away from his home at the corners of Kut Avenue and Supal Street on Saturday night when he was dispatched by a pair of men on a motorcycle.  He had just left to make a purchase at a nearby shop when the gunmen returned.

Shelene Myers

Shelene Myers, Relative of Deceased

“Di camera pick up di whole incident. He mi di walk gaan da di Chiney; he noh even live far from di Chiney round di lane. Di camera show plain when he di walk go da Chiney and two young man pan wahn cycle passed him. And when they passed him on the cycle, he continued to go to the store. He deh fronta di store di purchase whatever he gaan buy and ih look like di same young man dehn gaan right round di lane, right round di lane and turn back and gaan right da di Chiney. When he reach da di Chiney now, yoh know like when somebody else di cohn buy, you wahn dress down from di counter fi mek dehn.  You see it plain eena di camera, he dress down. Now when he dress down, da right deh di young bwai just.”

The upholsterer, also a well-known street figure, was blindsided and callously cut down in a hail of bullets.  He attempted to escape his attackers, despite being injured from the first round that struck him.  Son Son, as he was known to family and friends, wouldn’t get far.

ASP Fitzroy Yearwood

ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Director, B.P.D.

“Initial investigation revealed that Mr. Fitzgibbon, sometime around 7:40, went to a neighborhood store to make a purchase.  When I arrived on that scene, I saw the proof of his purchase still on the counter.  When he was walking back on Kut Avenue, towards Supal Street, two men approached him on a motorbike and a barrage of bullets were rained upon him, fatally injuring him.”

Fitzgibbon’s demise is the result of a carefully calculated attack.  The entire ordeal was caught on a network of surveillance cameras that were rigged up around his residence.  What precipitated the deadly incident is anyone’s guess. The prevailing thought, however, is Fitzgibbon’s alleged ties to criminal activity.

Shelene Myers

“When dehn gih ahn di first one, ih look like he run cross di street and when ih run cross di street da then di young bwai look like ih gaan over ahn and finish di job.”

Isani Cayetano

“Son Son, many people would know, may not necessarily be an angel.  He’s someone who is known in the streets of Belize City for certain activity and associations.  What do you believe may have motivated this attack on him?”

Shelene Myers

“I cyant seh, I noh know.  Like ah seh, I noh live round ya.  Whatever dehn do, my cousin noh wahn tell me because dehn know my job, I da wahn police officer.  Dehn know I noh get involved eena dehn kinda thing, but I still try motivate dehn fi do good and stay positive.  Like recently dehn mi di try expand the upholstery business.”

According to investigators working the case, they haven’t as yet been able to determine a motive for Fitzgibbon’s murder.

ASP Fitzroy Yearwood

“There is no clear motive as yet and, yes, you’re right in saying that he is no stranger to the law. But in a murder where it was only him on that street at that particular time and his two assailants, we would have to really do some serious canvassing to try to get to the bottom of this one. Nonetheless, our officers remain on that scene from that night and I am certain that they are out there trying to put this together and see how quickly we can bring it to a close.”

Isani Cayetano reporting for News Five.