“Cash” dies from wounds received on Holy Thursday

Denise Chavez

There was no reported gun violence over the holiday weekend in the City, but police are tonight resuming an investigation into the shooting of thirty year old Jamile Richardson, who succumbed over the weekend to injuries he received during a hail of gunfire on Holy Thursday.  “Cash,” as he was popularly known, was standing on Vernon Street in the company of twenty-five year old Dennis Molins when they were accosted by a lone gunman, who surfaced from behind a tire shop.  Multiple shots were fired and Cash was hit in the upper left back, as well as both ankles.  The father of three was immediately rushed to the K.H.M.H. where he underwent treatment; however, he remained paralyzed from the chest down.  On Sunday afternoon, he was transported to the hospital after complaining of an acute pain in the chest.  He passed away on Monday morning.  Today his sister shared with us the family’s frustration in trying to solve what has now been upgraded to the murder of their sibling.

Denise Chavez, Sister of Deceased

“When he got admitted to the hospital again—that was Saturday night at about eleven-thirty—he was still speaking, talking, telling the people about the pain in his chest. When we called the ambulance, ih tell the young lady ih have wah pain ina ih chest weh ih can’t handle noh more. Going ina di ambulance when ih reach the hospital, ih di tell my sister-in-law that he feel like this dah it; ih can’t struggle no more. And no care weh di doctor dehn do, dehn give ahn injections fi di pain; dehn try give ahn drips and the veins dehn noh di take it. Ih veins dehn lock off already and noh wah take di blood, nothing. The Sunday morning, ih just stop talk like ih tongue get heavy. Right now the family really devastated, hurt. The whole Vernon Street just like silent and confused because mien “Cash” mi look like somebody weh mi wah recover like any minute. He tell me, he looked pan me and he tell me just give he six months and he wah deh back pan fi he foot; even if dah ina wah wheelchair with fi he kids di push he around. And that sudden call dehn, we just left ina shock still yet, up to this day.”

Isani Cayetano

“What are the police saying with regards to resuming an investigation into the shooting?”

Denise Chavez

“Well me and my sister-in-law went by the CIB office. Dehn di do wah investigation all over again. Dehn mi already have wah young man detained fi it, but dehn mi had to let ahn goh due to weh my bredda couldn’t speak and thing when he mi deh dah the hospital. But dehn di start back dehn investigation again and hopefully we get some kind of justice about this.”

Isani Cayetano

“What actually happened? This was right around Easter time and he was one of several people who got injured during separate incidents. What took place with your brother?”

Denise Chavez

“Well my bredda had wah friend weh mi come from states and all of them usually heng out and he mi deh by my neighbor di heng out during that time with his friends and all ah dehn just di take wah nice lee drink and his back turn to the street side when gunman just come and start to spray shots. He got it ina fi he neck and right away he tell me that he drop right on the ground with his head down. And the gunman still continue shoot down on the ground and he get shot in his foot so he couldn’t move. Mien dehn mi have wah other guy weh mi get shot ina ih foot too. We noh know the reason why dehn mi come, we noh know who dehn mi want, put I know guarantee that they know dehn wrong. You know you come after somebody and you noh know see that person, mien turn back. Noh take out innocent people just like that because trust me this dah wah hardworking young man weh dehn just messed up just like that; dehn just broke up this young man whole entire family. This man had three young kids fi live for; work hard for his family. We noh know why and we would really want know why honestly, but we want justice. We need that. Right now dah Belize, we barely di get justice for things like this and I would want it for my bredda because everybody weh know my bredda know that he dah noh gunman. He dah wah hardworking youth and he work for fi he three.”

Molins, who was with Richardson at the time of the shooting was injured in the left leg.