Seventeen year old youth shot in the head, clings to life

There was another shooting in Belize City last night to report. It involved a seventeen year old young man who is clinging to life at the K.H.M.H. after he was shot in the head as he made his way home. While police are trailing the suspect who got away on a bicycle, News Five’s Marion Ali caught up with the victim’s family.

Marion Ali, Reporting
The unrelenting warfare spilled into Tuesday night when another Belize City youth was shot in the head just a block away from his house. Seventeen year old Adolfo Gomez Junior, also known as “Gordo” to his relatives and friends, was reportedly heading to his home on Queen Charlotte Street when someone who was trailing behind shot him at the corner of Fairweather Street and Mex Avenue shortly before nine. The gunman then sprinted on his bike down Neal Pen Road into the night. Gomez’ mother, Flori Gomez told News Five her son was returning home from chopping a yard outside of Belize City when he was shot.

Flori Gomez, Mother of Shooting Victim
“He gone work in Ladyville Monday morning and seh he wah come back Tuesday evening and when he di come home he ketch gunshot eena di head.”

Marion Ali
“He was walking home?”

Flori Gomez
“Yeah, walking home.”

Gomez was reportedly walking along with a friend when the gunman pounced on him. One of his friends, who appeared off camera, told us that when she heard the shots she never envisioned it was her good friend who was targeted.

Voice of Friend
“We hear gunshot but den we neva know weh mi di go on at di time and den my niece dehn mi deh round deh at di same time and dehn come and dehn seh Gordo get shot. Dehn seh how dat di boy mi di follow ah and ting but we noh know who dah di bwai. We noh know who da di person who mi di follow ah. But den we hear ih mi have wah old beef from long time wid some boy weh does goh dah school two years ago. And we noh know dah who so we noh know if dah da same boy shot ah or what. I noh know.”

And that is what police believe happened, an old beef between Gomez and another youth ended in gun violence. Gomez’ mother, Flori, is trying on her own to find out from her son what happened, but because of his critical condition, there has been no response.

Flori Gomez
“I talk to him but he noh ansa me. But my husband seh ih talk to he dis maanin’ fi tell ah Pa me noh dead? And ih pa seh no you noh dead yet. Only dat ih seh. The doctors seh the operation mi good right but ih seh ih feel good right now but weh wah happen tomorrow ih mussi wah have problems.”

Marion Ali
“The surgery was for what?”

Flori Gomez
“Cause ih seh ih got lotta blood eena di head and ih ketch operation fi tek off all di blood soh ih noh ketch infection.”

And while doctors at the K.H.M.H. try to save Gomez’ life, police are now looking for their main suspect. Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.

News Five understands that the culprit is associated with one of Belize City’s most notorious gangs.

And in other crime news, police on Tuesday charged one of their own, Constable Dixon Polonio, with Murder for the shooting death of Alexander Herrera.