Teenager Killed With Homemade Shotgun

The weapon used to kill Maleek Norris was crude but obviously deadly – just two pieces of metal pipe and a shotgun shell. It was found dumped on the Young Bank Road on a farm, a discovery which Gillett attributes to the good work of the officers conducting the investigation. Those men will be rewarded for the work which has resulted in what is believed to be an open and shut case. Today, Gillett told News Five that while the weapon did its job, the shooter is lucky to be alive because the homemade gun could easily have exploded.

Sr. Supt. Howell Gillett, O.C., Belmopan Formation

“This weapon in question that we discovered and that we believe is the murder weapon is very unsophisticated, meaning it is just two pieces of pipe put together and a hammer is behind it to have the round discharge. It is very unsafe to use but we are noticing…those who are on our social app, will notice that we have been doing a lot of work in the Las Flores area where we believe that these weapons are being produced. But it is so unsophisticated that anybody could actually make it but it is very unsafe and I urge people not to be engaged in those types of things. And I implore on parents, if you notice anything unusual because what we see in the Las Flores area, there are a number of bicycles going missing and they are using the frame of the bicycles to produce these homemade firearms. So we want people to continue to work with us and it is very evident that we share a very unusual kind of relationship with the public that we serve in this area because you could imagine in less that twelve hours time, we were able to capture the suspect and we were able to take the weapon off the street. It is very remarkable and I am happy to say that we share an extremely good relationship with the communities that we serve.”

Howell Gillett

Mike Rudon

“You say that Las Flores is where a lot of them is being produced. Is that technique particular to any Central American country?

Sr. Supt. Howell Gillett

“Well we believe that the influx from people from the gangs in El Salvador coming into, not only Las Flores, but the peripheral area especially, they come with that knowledge. And they pass on that knowledge locally, hence the reason we are seeing an increase in the make of these types of weapons. But I believe, if my memory serves me right, we have at least six of them in custody and at least five people have been sent to prison as a result of arrests that we have made in the recent past.”

Late word to News Five is that the police are awaiting word from the Office of the D.P.P. before laying charges. Puerto is claiming that he acted in self-defense, and in those particular circumstances the D.P.P. must be consulted.