Belize City man clings to life after being shot to the head

Micah Williams

A Belize City family is hoping for the best but fearing the worst following the shooting of one of their own. Micah Williams was shot in the head this morning as he cleaned his car in front of his house. Two men rode up separately and asked if he would sell them a rim; he replied it had been sold. Then and there the single shot was fired by one of the two assailants believed to be minors. Williams is clinging to life at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Duane Moody has been following this story.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Around eight-thirty this morning, the echo of a single gunshot resonated in the Collet area; a man had been shot, execution style.  Twenty-nine year old Micah Williams was shot once to the head at close range by one of two men on bicycles as he washed his car in front of his residence on Raccoon Street Extension. His mother was at work when she got the news. Lelia Williams says that Micah has been given a fifty-fifty chance at survival because the bullet is lodged on his brain.

Lelia Williams, Mother of Shooting Victim

“Two gun man just ride up and ask my son if they can purchase the rim that he is selling; the car rim beucase they are some spinners. So he tell them somebody already see him to get the rims so they already gone. They say one of the gunman just shoot him ina the head and the next one just disperse.”

Reporter

“How is he doing in the hospital at the moment?”

Lelia Williams

“Well he is on life support machine; he is critical, very critical.”

Duane Moody

“I understand he was shot once to the head.”

Lelia Williams

Lelia Williams

“Yes once in the head. The bullet lodge to the brain and the doctor says they have to wait till the swelling goes down so that they could conduct a surgery.”

Persons in the immediate area helped Micah to his vehicle before it sped off to the K.H.M.H.

Voice of: Respondent

“I hear one shot and I mi think dah mi wah pop shot. So my son halla at me and say dad, dehn shot Micah; come and help put ahn ina di vehicle. When I come out I see ahn di lay down out there.”

Duane Moody

“Tell us what you saw when you approached.”

Voice of: Respondent

“Well I see blood di come from ih temple so I feel like dah from dehn ih get shot.”

Duane Moody

“I understand that he was washing his vehicle when whoever approached him and fired that single shot to his temple.”

Voice of: Respondent

“Yap, he was out there washing his vehicle.”

But with the urban gun violence heightened ones again, there is fear in the city streets. Lelia says that she believes the shooting was random as her son is not affiliated with any gang nor did he have any enemies.

Lelia Williams

“No reason, no, no reason. He was washing his vehicle. My other grandson say mek ih help ahn—ih nephew—and when he gone, ih say as he turn his back to wash the tire, ih say no. Ih see ih uncle drop on the ground.  I neva had that fear that something coulda happen because they dah my kids and according to what I know, dehn dah children weh interfere with anybody. Dehn dah noh gunman and dehn noh interfere with nobody. I live on Raccoon Street thirty years and never yet nobody come to my house and said Miss Williams yo son do this, yo son do that. If dehn bad, I wah say dehn bad.”

Voice of: Respondent

“I feel like Belize noh safe no more. The criminals are out there to hurt people. So the police man should stop deal with the people dehn weh di deal with business and find the criminals them.”

Police are reportedly looking for two persons known to them in relation to this shooting. Duane Moody for News Five.

Just before news time, his mother told News Five that Micah was about to undergo emergency surgery to remove the bullet from his brain.