“G-Mike” Usher Cut Down by Bullets in Hattieville

Michael Usher

Michael Usher was shot and killed in his yard on Saturday night sometime around nine. According to the family, just over a month ago, Usher moved to Hattieville to live with his aunt and her common-law-husband. Vinette Arnold told News Five today that her nephew was killed just moments after she returned from church and that she believed the killer lay-waited him. While she heard the shots, Arnold never saw who killed her nephew because she is partially blind. Today, News Five’s Andrea Polanco was in Hattieville and has the story.

Vinette Arnold, Aunt of Deceased

“Bwai, weh the go on with you, bwai? Two time ih say it, ‘Bwai, weh the go on with you, bwai?’”

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

Those were the last words thirty five year old Michael Usher better known as G-Mike said shortly before he was killed. Just before nine on Saturday night, Usher was sitting here on the steps of his aunt’s house on Foster Drive in Hattieville where he lived. In the nights, he would always sit on this bucket – and that was exactly what he was doing when his killer came up to him. The family believes the gun-man lay waited Usher and crept up on him from this side of the house – so he didn’t see his killer until it was too late. His elderly aunt Vinette Arnold recalls what happened when she heard the shots that took Usher’s life.

Vinette Arnold

Vinette Arnold

“I move off and gone inna my room gone sit down and he move behind me and so he tell me like this, ih say, he mi want know weh I mi deh and I tell ah I mi deh dah church. My nephew now he walk back outside and gone sit down pahn wah bucket weh he always sit down out deh pahn every night; but inna that I hear he say like this, not even ten minutes, or five minutes good, because dah neva nine yet. I hear he say like this, ‘Bwai, weh di go on with you, bwai?’ Two times he say it, ‘Bwai, weh di go on with you, bwai?’ So, I holler after ah and I tell ah dah who and you? But inna that I hear ‘Aye’ like he scream out . So, I say dah weh dat? I get up because I nuh tek off mi clothes yet and when I listen I hear ‘Baiii” and I buss dah the door fi open the door to see dah who and my common-law haul me back and he say you nuh hear dah gun shot? And then I hear ‘Baiii’ again. I say but wait dah Michael deh out deh.”

Usher was shot while he was sitting on the bucket – at least three shots were heard. He was hit to the head and back during which time he tried to run for his life. He collapsed a short distance away on the side of the house – his aunt planted this cross to mark the spot where he fell unconscious in the yard where he lived.  He was later taken to the hospital where he died shortly before mid-night.  Arnold describes some those final painful moments that happened just outside her door – saying there was nothing she could do to save her nephew’s life.

Vinette Arnold

“I tell he fi open the door and go si weh happen. I nuh si Michael di sit down again. I tell ah go look fi Michael fi me and he walk so and gone right by weh part I got the cross right out there. He say, ‘Ooh, deh shot ah inna his head.’ No he neva si first. So I tell ah tun ah ova fi me. Because he mi deh pahn his face suh because deh mi done shot ah inna his head. So I tell ah turn ah ova fi me and he turn ova and I say if he head and I di bawl. He say look like ih nuh dead yet because he open one ah his eye and ih shet it. I say, ‘My God, please help. Please help. Please help mi mek ah ker ah down. The police say I can’t touch ah and I say weh happen unu wah left ah deh mek ih dead? I say, ‘ay, PC, unu nuh know how I feel right now, please help me. They say no I can’t touch ah and when I look my nephew stay right down deh and dead.”

But Arnold says she has no idea why anyone would want to her nephew dead – because he didn’t have problems with anyone. It has only been about five weeks since the father of one moved to Hattieville to live with her – before that he lived in Belmopan. And when he moved to Hattieville he would keep to himself and spend all his time at home.

Vinette Arnold

“He nuh know nobody yah, miss, to be truthful. He know like older people weh know ih mother. But like deh young people he nuh know at all, at all.”

Andrea Polanco

“Now, what kinda person was Michael; was he friendly; did he keep to himself?”

Michael Usher

Vinette Arnold

“He was friendly. Keep himself to himself, only older people.”

Andrea Polanco

“He neva had any problems; tell yuh well, ‘auntie, somebody di have issues with me?’”

Vinette Arnold

“Neva did. Neva did. Sometimes I see and he deh inna the corner and I tell ah nuh come bring yuh distress yah,’ see this book yah, read it dah suh yuh ketch AIDS’ and lone dah book he read. I nuh think, I nuh know dah how deh come kill mi nephew right inna mi yard. I nuh know.”

Andrea Polanco

“And you can’t think of any reason why deh would ah wah kill ah?”

Vinette Arnold

“I can’t think it. I can’t think it. I ask ah one day yuh got any problem with anybody and he say no.”

Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.