Another murder rocks Belize City

He didn’t realize as he watched last night’s news story on the murder of Arthur Crawford that within a short time he would become the latest victim in a series of fatal shootings in Belize City. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods reports.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Twenty-two year old Shona Oshon says she was home with her boyfriend twenty-seven year old Glenroy Broaster, when he left home just before seven on Monday night to meet his friends at a nearby store. So when she heard the gunshots almost two hours later she became very concerned because she knew that was the time her boyfriend would have been on his way home.

Shona Oshon, Girlfriend of the Deceased
?I just said, I hope it is not him. While I am telling his aunty that I hope it is not him, by the time I could say that somebody come holler for his brother and said that it was him that got shot. So we just rushed and went out there.?

Broaster was only three minutes away from home when he was ambushed and gunned down as he rode on his bicycle past the Cumberbatch field on Fabers Road.

Jacqueline Woods
?How many times was he shot??

Shona Oshon
?Three times; one in his face, one in his hand and one in his leg. The one in his face didn?t kill him, but it?s the one in his leg they said penetrated upwards and killed him.?

Police say they do not have a motive for the murder and are concerned about the recent increase in shootings.

G. Michael Reid, Public Relations Officer, Police Department
?In particular, the fact that so many of our young people are dying and the police are very concerned. For the most part, other crimes seemed to be controlled. But a number of individuals since the beginning of the year–eleven to be exact–have been killed. We are very, very concerned about that.?

Police public relations officer G. Michael Reid, says what they have been able to establish is that none of the incidents are gang related.

G. Michael Reid
?Many times these murders are over old beefs when one person is in disagreement with another person. Interesting enough many times, they are very petty stuff. If they would sit down and reason they could avoid all the blood shed.?

The wanton disregard for human life has affected many Belize City families. Today, the Broasters struggle with their loss.

Shona Oshon
?He isn?t anybody who would do those types of things and go mess with anybody or so. When he done from work, he comes straight home. He would usually hang out there sometimes but not all the time. Before nine he would usually reach home and that?s why he was coming home last night and I guess they were lay-waiting him or something. They said the person who did it stood over him and shot him again.?

G. Michael Reid
?We would just like to tell the public that the Cash for Information Programme is still in full effect and the 922 Hotline is there. There is money available and we would like to ask anyone out there who has information about crimes committing to please assist the people that we can make Belize safer for all of us.?

Up until the time of his death, Broaster worked as a supervisor at Sanitation Enterprises Limited. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.

Police say they have since detained one person in connection with the murder but believe the trigger man is still at large.