16 year old shot in the head because he lived in zone

Justin Teck

Another minor was shot in the city; it happened in the height of the rush hour near the traffic lights on Freetown Road. Police won’t confirm, but word on the street is that Justin Teck, referred to by police as Justin Stevens, is a victim of the ongoing violence between the Kelly and Victoria Streets gangs. Up to news time Teck was fighting for his life at the K.H.M.H. News Five’s Jose Sanchez has the story and the images of the mid-day shooting.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

A shooting incident on Freetown Road brought traffic to a halt between Yin Kee Restaurant and the traffic lights at Cinderella Plaza. At midday, sixteen-year-old Justin Teck Stevens was shot three times when he was attacked by a youth on bicycle. One of the shots caught him to the head. Amateur video shows a crowd watching the youth while he lay on the ground. With an adrenaline rush, Teck still tried to get up as the EMT’s put him in the ambulance. Minutes later, police were busy looking for expended shells on the normally busy road. His sister believes he was shot because he lives in an area that intersects Kelly Street.

Voice of: Justin Teck’s Sister

“When I mi di come home before I reach YWCA, my stepfather stop ina di CIB pickup nad he tell me that my bredda just get shot. I say fi true? And he say yes dehn just ker ahn dah hospital. And when deh bring ahn out, dehn seh ih get three shots—one ina ih head yah and some weh else part ah ih body. And then dehn ker ah fi go tek wah cat scan and dehn say inside ah ih brain yah so di bleed and di blood di clot it up and dehn noh ker ahn dah theatre yet.”

Jose Sanchez

“Your brother, he was attending school—sixteen years old—does he give trouble?”

Voice of: Justin Teck’s Sister

“Like give trouble dah school yes—but now and again—but otherwise ih noh give trouble pan di street. My bredda noh fool with nobody weh have to take my bredda life just like that.”

Jose Sanchez

“I know this is very difficult for you, but everyone I have spoken to in the area believes your brother was shot because he lived near Kelly Street.”

Voice of: Justin Teck’s Sister

“Yes, fi the lee nine year old weh mi get shot. dehn seh anybody weh see pan Kelly Street, dehn wah tek weh deh life.”

According to Police Press Officer Fitzroy Yearwood, a positive link has not been established between the youth and any bad blood between the two rivaling neighborhoods.

Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer

“We have a sixteen year old Justin Stevens critically injured, fighting for his life right now at the Karl Heusner Memorial. We know that sometime around twelve o’clock he was on Freetown Road around Cinderella Plaza area of Belize City when he was approached by a gunman who fired some shots in his direction; one hitting him to the left side of the head. We, at the police department, are looking for one person known to the police, in connection with this shooting.”

Jules Vasquez, 7 News

“Is this part of the ongoing rivalry between Kelly Street and Victoria Street? We know he is from Hunter’s Street which is included in the Kelly Street area.”

Fitzroy Yearwood

Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood

“Well, Jules I’ll have to give the investigators break to find out what was the motive for the shooting before I can really say that this is a part of ongoing rivalry.”

Rowland Parks

“Can you say if the shooter was on bicycle or on foot?”

Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood

“On bicycle.”

Jules Vasquez, 7 News

“The information is that the shooter is from another area. Is there a chance that he was contracted by one of the rivals to come in and execute a hit?”

Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood

“Jules, all I can say it’s somebody not—it is not a friend of his and for us, to just summarize it we would have to say rivalry.”

Voice of: Justin Teck’s Sister

“I don’t know why they have to shot him. He noh got no things ina that. That dah my bredda and if you lose somebody ina yoh family, you know how it feel. Fi make my ma di go through all this stress because fi she son get shot; I noh know why dehn shot ahn fah. All weh I want dah just justice—make dehn ketch dehn lock them up cause they noh got no right fi shoot my bredda cause he noh give trouble.”

According to relatives, Teck took evening classes at Gwen Lizarraga High School and recently completed a summer camp at Youth for the Future. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

In related news, police have arrested two Belize City men for the Independence Day murder of nine year old Joshua Abraham who was killed on Victoria Street minutes after viewing the annual parade.  Today Randy Green and Michael Young were jointly charged for his murder.  Abraham was gunned down in a storm of bullets that were let loose at their target whom, it is believed, was in the area where the shooting occurred.  Incidentally, Green, along with four others, was also charged with the armed assault of Glenford Williams which occurred on Freetown Road on Independence Day.