Man Killed and Another Injured in Wednesday Night Shooting

Kieran Morrison

Another youth has lost his life in the urban gang warfare that has erupted once more in the Old Capital. At about eight-thirty on Wednesday night, Kieran Morrison and his friend, eighteen year old Kent Brooks Junior were targeted on La Croix Boulevard where they were hanging out. Morrison was shot multiple times and died within minutes in front of his house; Brooks Junior was shot once in the abdomen and is clinging to life. News Five’s Duane Moody spoke to family and friends about the latest homicide in the city.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Around eight-thirty Wednesday night, multiple shots rang out on La Croix Boulevard off Mahogany Street in the St. Martin’s area. When the echoes of the blasts subsided, two Belize City youth laid gravely injured on the ground. Twenty-year old Kieran Morrison was shot multiple times to the body and bled profusely before he took his last breath just outside the gates to his residence on La Croix Boulevard. His friend, eighteen year old Kent Brooks Junior was hit once to the side and remains in a critical condition at the K.H.M.H.  From various accounts, a gunman exited the nearby alley and ambushed the duo as they stood outside Morrison’s yard.

Chester Williams

ACP Chester Williams, Regional Commander, Eastern Division South

“Police were called to La Croix Boulevard area in the St. Martin’s De Porres as a result of shots being fired in the area. Upon arrival, police observed one Kieran Morrison and one Kent Brooks…both were suffering from gunshot wounds that they sustained as a result of a shooting in that area.”

Voice of: Kimberly Michael, Resident

“Roughly like seven shots; yo hear three first….that dah weh make I run out because I know my son was at the back there. And then yo hear it again like dehn want finish ahn then.”

Duane Moody

“They are saying that a vehicle drove up with the gunman. You hear anything like that?”

Voice of: Kimberly Michael

“No, no, no. They are just saying the vehicle was waiting up more by the pipe side and the person from the bike come through the alley with a cap on ih head, creep up pan dehn and dah soh. So they ketch Kieran off guard. Kieran was in his phone.”

The shots could be heard for a distance. But Kimberly Michael lives a block away from the Morrisons and adjacent to the Brooks family home. She ran to the scene, knowing that she had just sent her son in the same direction. There, she found both on the ground.

Kent Brooks Jr.

Voice of: Kimberly Michael

“I peep out and when I do peep out, I see wah lee bwai come running and I di bawl out and say, “My baby. My baby.” But when we reach closer, dah wah different lee bwai and I shake the lee bwai cause it look like the lee bwai mi traumatized. Me and my neighbor continue run to the back and I see Kieron Morrison on the ground lying. But I was not focused on him; I was focused on my neighbor, Kent Brooks. I run towards him and holler out his name, but no response. When I turn him over, I slap him up ina ih face and I di holler, “Kentie, Kentie…get up, get up.”  And dah soh he end up the respond to me. And I tell ahn, “Who shot you? Who shot you?” Ih say I noh know who shot yo. So I tell ahn weh part yo get shot; ih say ina ih chest. So I lift up his shirt and I noh see no bullet holes. So I tell ahn you noh get shot. I turn ahn over and I noh see no bullet holes either. But he say yes I get shot, I get shot. I di feel it.  Dah when I turn ahn on the other side, dah then I see wah bullet hole, but I holler yon oh di bleed. And all he deh di bawl out; ih say, “Kimmie I wah dead, I wah dead, I wah dead.” And I di tell ahn no yo noh wah dead.”

As the shooting victims were transported to the K.H.M.H., Morrison was pronounced dead on arrival while Brooks Junior was rushed into surgery, suffering from internal bleeding. Kent Brooks Senior says that the single shot he received ruptured several of his organs.

Kent Brooks Sr.

Kent Brooks Sr., Father of Shooting Victim

“Right now he is in a critical but stable condition. And the doctor is saying that he will need another surgery about Saturday or Sunday again and ih wah need fi donate some blood. That is all the information that we get right now because the bullet wound weh ih get dah wah serious one. It damaged some of his organs so they have to take a next surgery on ahn again. The doctor says that we just have to hope and pray that everything work out. We can’t just carry high wih heads up and say everything alright. But right now…ih alright right now; he is responding to treatments.”

At the time of the incident, La Croix Boulevard is normally busy with traffic and other persons could have been injured. The area is considered overlapping territory for two rivaling gangs in St. Martin’s De Porres and it is believed that the shooting may have been gang related. According to police, measures are in place but is gang warfare in the area flaring up again?

ACP Chester Williams

“We believe that it is gang related based on what we have gathered so far. And you would know that there are two gangs operating in the St. Martin’s area. We have the PIV and the Back-A-Land crowd and there are instances where some of them are living in what is called the territory of the other. And this is one of those circumstances.”

Kent Brooks Sr.

“Ih neva tell me if anybody di threatened him or something like that. I just try tell them to try stay home in the yard and something like that. But he noh really come to we and tell we that ih have no problem like that with nobody.”

Voice of: Kimberly Michael

“I do believe it will get worse. I do believe that. Dah long time fi true nothing never mi di happen dah back yah and then dehn just the start back again.”

Two persons, who are from that same neighborhood, have since been detained in connection with this latest homicide. Duane Moody for News Five.

Police are currently following leads on an alleged getaway vehicle that was parked in the area and used by the gunman to flee from the murder scene.