Murder on Southside Devastates Family of Teenager

Ludwin Lalin

An eighteen-year-old Belize City resident was shot and killed on Monday evening, shattering a period a relative calm in urban gun violence.  It is not known whether the murder of Ludwin Lalin is gang-related, but we can say that his life had been under threat by persons he knew.  Lalin left his home on Jane Usher Boulevard to shop for some food items when his life was ended before he could get back to his house, a stone’s throw away. Just after six o’clock, he was ambushed by an unidentified gunman, who fled the area immediately. Various expended shells were found, but one bullet made its mark on Lalin’s head. News Five’s Duane Moody spoke with his cousin Milisia Castillo who says that for some time now, the police had not been patrolling the area.

Milisia Castillo, Eldest Cousin of Murder Victim

“We still deh ina wah suspense if we wah get justice or not. Dah wah life just gone so…dah like you di kill wah dog and say hmmm…yo understand. No justice.”

Duane Moody, Reporting

Just after six p.m. on Tuesday, the blasts of what residents say were at least ten gunshots echoed in the distance in the Jane Usher Boulevard area. The life of yet another Belize City youth had been cut short. Eighteen-year-old Ludwin Lalin, a resident of Jane Usher Boulevard was executed as he was buying at a shop, in proximity to his house. His father, who had just arrived home from work, heard the blast but never thought that it was his son that had been murdered. His cousin, Milisia Castillo says that she woke up to the news of Lalin’s demise.

Milisia Castillo

Milisia Castillo

“I mi di sleep. My uncle mi lately come from work and lee while before my uncle come from work I mi see he because I usually go and pick up my cousin from school. That’s the last time I see he yesterday evening literally before my uncle come from work. When my uncle come from work, I come downstairs and I gone and sleep. Yes I hear the gunshots, but I neva mi di think that ih reach that close to home. But I hear my puppy di bark outside like crazy so I want know dah weh di happen outside so I come outta my room cause I still deh ina sleep and wake. Then I see my uncle and my neighbor dehn di cry up and thing so I ask them dah weh happen. And so my neighbor tell me gial dah yo cousin, dah yo cousin. So I say dah my cousin? Which one ah my cousin dehn?”

In complete disbelief, Castillo ran just around the lane on Curl Thompson Street to find police processing a scene. On the ground in front of Maria Shop near his bicycle and a bag of goodies near his hand laid the body of her eldest cousin. He had been shot to the left side of the head by at least one gunman who ambushed him.

Milisia Castillo

“I run gone and when I reach there so by the shop, I see my le cousin there between the culvert and the road. He just lay out pan the ground. He mi look like he di sleep; like he just the sleep. And yo know weh hurt we di most is that dah so much shots lick off and dah just the solid one to ih temple dah weh ker ahn. We know that people see because dah right in front of the shop it happen and lotta people mi deh out. When I reach there the lady tell me make I noh touch fi he body because they still di process the scene. But how I noh wah touch ahn when I still deh ina shock. I like…”

Click, as he was affectionately known, was like a brother to Castillo; her best friend and confidant. She says that it is not known who callously executed Lalin, but that he spoke of having trouble with persons within the area.

Milisia Castillo

“Wah few months ago we had a conversation and yes the topic come up and thing. But fi say he call names fi say dah who, no. He just say that he can’t ride certain parts of the neighborhood because he had problems with some people. And it so happens that outta one of dehn real odd days weh he neva go and buy dah that shop dah back there, he gone deh. I can’t even get he fi go there and buy and yesterday he did…I could never, ever, ever get he fi go and buy there. He would prefer take a half hour or an hour to go somewhere else than go right there. My lee cousin neva had no kids, no kids. And somebody just ker fi he life. Yes ih mi do ih lee fool and thing, but he noh kill nobody you know. And that dah something weh dehn do; they take away fi he life and they take it away without he could defend fi he self. Like literally from a blind side you take away fi he life from ahn.”

Castillo recounts her fondest memories of Lalin.

Milisia Castillo

“Dah who ah wah could quarrel with soon dah morning cause fi we hours dah from six dah morning we get up and the sit down downstairs yah so. If we noh deh downstairs we deh upstairs. When I wah cook, I wah can’t tell ahn bwai pull down wah two coconut fi me, you know. I wah can’t go and buss ina ih room and disturb ahn or wake up ahn when ih di sleep. I noh wah got nobody fi laugh with when my uncle deh dah work and the baby deh dah school; it will be me one. And dah usually he dah my company; dah me fi he and he fi me.”

The family is asking for assistance to lay their loved one to rest. Lalin’s father can be contacted at 626-3956 for more information. Duane Moody for News Five.