16-Year-Old Minor Shot Dead; 1 Man Injured in Shooting in Belize City

Jahfeth Stamp

We begin tonight’s newscast with the shooting death of a sixteen-year-old minor that occurred on Rivero Street on Sunday. The minor reportedly went to commit a crime, but his would-be responded and shot him dead. Even as he took his last breath face down on the ground, his partner in crime would retrieve the gun and use that to commit another shooting a short distance away, injuring an innocent man before escaping from the area. It’s an area that has recently popped up in the news for a murder, a suspected case of arson and now this homicide. News Five’s Duane Moody finds out that it is the result of gang rivalry in the area.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Sixteen-year-old Jahfeth Stamp is dead after he was shot on Sunday morning on Rivero Street in Belize City. Although Stamp is a victim, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says that the minor carried a gun and was about to open fire on a group of men where a house had recently burnt down. Realizing what was about to take place, someone from that residence pulled out a firearm and fatally shot Stamp. Stamp ran a couple properties down, but collapsed and died on the pavement.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“Sadly yes, what investigation is showing is that the teen was going to carry out a shooting and it so happened that those he was going after got the upper hand and he was killed.”

Wayne Matura

An investigation has revealed that Stamp, a resident of the Jane Usher Boulevard area, did not enter the Rivero Street area alone. Soon after he collapsed, his accomplice would run up to his body and retrieve the gun, which was used to attack forty-three-year-old Wayne Matura on Fabers Road. Matura was walking out of his yard, when he came face-to-face with the gunman. He ran for his life around his pickup truck before he was shot in the leg.

Voice of: Patrick Dougal, Cousin on Shooting Victim

“The youth that got shot in the back there; his mom was surprised that he got shot. My cousin was right here, he had his crab that he was going to catch yesterday and he had coconut oil to make yesterday. Just coming from out of his yard, he noh even reach to the street and the guy just attack him for no apparent reason.”

Duane Moody

“I understand that the gunman chased him.”

Voice of: Patrick Dougal

“Yes round and round and round his vehicle. He was running for his life. He got shot in his foot as a hard working man with a family. Now he is down. He employs people. He is not in no gang whatsoever. But because of society and the surrounding and things that are happening, it has a rippling effect.  Most parents are standing down and not saying anything. Everybody in this neighbourhood knows everybody.”

Chester Williams

“The intention clearly was to kill that individual. Luckily, the gun snapped and so the individual was not killed. So it goes to show the nature and the viciousness of these young people and as a department we are addressing that. Let me say that the guy Matura who was shot, he is not a member. He was innocently targeted. So it seems that after they were not able to get the person that they wanted, they just came into this yard and shoot somebody, trying to send a statement. Thank God, it did not materialize the way they wanted to. The young man is in the hospital, he is recovering and we hope for a speedy recovery for him.”

Eighteen-year-old Trevor Thompson was killed on Fabers Road not far from Rivero Street almost a month ago.  A few days later, ten persons were left homeless after a fire was set at a home on Rivero Street.  Now there has been another killing. ComPol Chester Williams says that the violence in the area is due to gang rivalry.

Chester Williams

“While we are seeing that many of the old heads who we have been targeting as gang members are holding it done, per say, we do have a generation of some vicious youths and these youths are the problem for us now. It is difficult even for the older heads to be able to control them because they want to do their own thing. And when they do get a hold of a firearm, then they make it even worse. It’s a gang issue. There are two rivalling groups in the area and apparently one group came after the other and like I said before, the other one saw them and went on the offensive and then the shooting happened, but it is a gang issue.”

One person is in police custody following the shooting of Matura. But what happens in the case of the shooting death of sixteen-year-old Stamp? Is the case being treated as a murder or self-defence?

Chester Williams

“The suspect is in custody and we are hoping that by today or tomorrow, we should be able to lay charges against the person who is responsible for the shooting over the weekend. It could be considered self-defense if those persons would come forward and give their account to police, but we understand the world we live in; they might not want to do that. And so, we are waiting to see what if that is going to happen. If they don’t give their account of what transpired, then we will proceed with murder charges as we normally do.”

Reporter

“And if it was self-defense and their gun was unlicensed, what happens then?”

Chester Williams

“The law does have a provision for that – that if you act in defense with an unlicensed firearm, the D.P.P. has the authority in law for you not to be charged for unlicensed firearm.”

Duane Moody for News Five.