B.W.S. Employee Shot and Killed in Early Morning Attack

Emerson Arnold

An early morning homicide in the Old Capital has claimed the life of the cousin of reputed George Street captain Carlos “Zimbab” Abraham. Abraham was hit twice to the neck and the arm last Wednesday as he visited his relatives’ tire shop on Lakeview Street. As he spoke with a cousin, two men approached and fired five shots in his direction, two of which made its mark on him. Nine days later, his cousin, thirty-five-year-old Emerson Arnold, an employee of Belize Water Services Limited was gunned down on Gibnut Street, moments after he left his house. Arnold was shot multiple times to the back by someone who it is believed trailed him. But is his murder related to the shooting of “Zimbab”? The motive is unknown, but Duane Moody went looking for answers on this latest homicide in the city.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Thirty-five year old Emerson Arnold had just left his home on Lakeview Street, riding on a bicycle en route to work. Just three blocks away, he was gunned down on Gibnut Street. His sister, Eshel Arnold, says she heard the blasts of eight gunshots, but never assumed that her brother was the target. Emerson was hit seven times to the back and died within minutes.

Voice of: Eshel Arnold, Sister of Murder Victim

“By the time I reach outside my gate, I heard the shots. I said why early morning. The first thing gone to my head was that dah maybe dah tacos stand people because you know how they bwai dehn noh want work and thing. So I see lotta crowd di run down. I say I noh gwen faas cause I say I know my bredda done gone dah work and two left home.   By the time I reach by BelCan, I noh got no strength fi ride di bike. So I say god give me strength and I di pray say god just make mi bredda pull out of it if dah he; just make ih pull outta it. By the time I reach there, ih done dead already.”

Reporter

“Do you know how many shots he received?”

Voice of: Eshel Arnold

“While I stand up here, I hear about eight to nine shots. By the time I reach there and according to my bredda, seven ah them ketch ahn and dah eena ih loen back.”

The family believes that Emerson was stalked and his life deliberately and callously taken. According to Eshel, Emerson had received threats.

Voice of: Eshel Arnold

“I said ih had to have been followed because ih left from here and every morning ih go so. So I say dah follow dehn following ahn because how they know that ih go soh? Every morning ih go soh. Why all of a sudden now something happen to ahn. It has to be somebody weh di spy ahn. He noh fool with nobody; he not even heng home. He go dah ih cousin then, sit down, talk stupidness, laugh and talk and thing cause the same reason why ih noh hang around yah for the same reason fi say crime and gunshot; this tara. So I say dah follow dehn follow ahn.”

Emerson is the cousin of Carlos “Zimbab” Abraham, who was shot at a tire shop near the corner of Lakeview and Banak Streets; this is the residence where the murder victim lived. But are both incidents related?

Voice of: Eshel Arnold

“No, I noh think so because he dah noh really. Yo know yo got the tire shop; yo come and fix yo tire and ‘Zimbab’ and we dah family and ih come do wah lee business fi get tires and thing. So I noh think it related…nothing that has no relation with that. Lotta things di go through my head because today dah my birthday and I noh wah forget it…never. So every year I wah remember that my bredda get shot on my birthday.”

Duane Moody for News Five.

One man was arrested after the murder and remains in custody tonight. Arnold was a father of four children; two girls and two boys.