Kevin Thomas Succumbs to Gunshot Injuries, Shadron Gillett to be Charged with His Murder

Shooting victim, Kevin Thomas, clung to life for less than two days. But tonight the raffle man, as he is known, is dead. Thomas was shot multiple times on Monday night while standing in front of a store on the Yarborough Road. The bullets penetrated his abdomen and head and though he underwent surgery at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, Thomas caved in this morning. His shooter has been identified as eighteen-year-old Shadron Deshawn Gillett, and for a brief time at the K.H.M.H. both victim and gunman laid side by side receiving treatment. It is known that the alleged shooter circled the area before ambushing Thomas but the motive for the shooting has not been determined. Gillett is expected to be charged for murder upon his release. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Thirty-six-year-old Kevin Thomas lost the fight to remain alive this morning, after being shot multiple times on Monday night.  The well-known raffle vendor was standing here at Steven’s Shop on the Yarborough Road when he was pounced upon by a gunman.  The alleged killer, identified as eighteen-year-old Shadron Gillett, remains under police watch at the KHMH.  He too was shot by police while attempting to flee the scene of the crime he reportedly committed.

Joeavin Leslie, Brother of Deceased

Joeavin Leslie

“They had an intention to kill and I believe that they killed at random, I mean I’d want to say that, you know, my brother is, because you here at all the time on the news, but I definitely know that he left with the intention to go to the shop and come back home and on his way to the shop that’s when the shooting happened and, you know, they shot an innocent man.  They shot an innocent man and he is in no way gang related.  While he lives in the area, everyone around the area knows him, maybe to someone looking from the outside in, seeing him with the people from the area would want to assume that, but he doesn’t.  My brother doesn’t even smoke.  You know, he does his, he has his recreational activities that he does, he’s a grown man and, you know, that’s it.”

So why would Thomas be marked for death and why would he be expunged in such cruel fashion as to be shot in the stomach and head?

Joeavin Leslie

“My brother, mein, is a very helpful person.  Everyone in this neighbourhood knows him, maybe I would dare to say even the city because he sells raffle all over Belize City so a lot of people would know him by interacting with him due to the raffling that he does.  He’s a hard working person, never had any worries, doesn’t have any children.  Just an all-around good person, a genuine person, you know, and that’s what we’re holding on to.”

…and that is all that the family is left with.  Thomas passed away this morning while undergoing treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

Joeavin Leslie

“I’d want to say to those people, the young people who are being, I noh know if dehn di set dehn up or dehn do it willingly.  You know, dehn need to make sure, I mean I noh know, dehn know who their enemies are and, you know, I, they know who their enemies are.  It’s not fair to honest, law-abiding people to get caught up in their war that they’re in and just because they came to kill somebody and they couldn’t find who they came to kill, then they kill an innocent man and then you know, I just hope that whosoever the person is that the Almighty would come to him in his time of down, because he is down right now; the Almighty would come to him and, you know, just use him as an example so that other young people can know that, you know, there is a better way of doing things, you know, there’s a better way of venting your anger and, you know, picking up a gun and then just shooting someone at random is just, it just doesn’t make any sense and then hardworking people who do what they are supposed to do they end up starting to live in fear.”

It is that sense of terror and worry that Gillett spoke about so candidly with News Five back in June.  His words, in a sense, were prophetic.  Sadly, he is the one who now stands accused of making things worst for his generation.

Teen Reporter

“How do you see our country in the next five years to ten years from now?”

Shadron Gillett

(File: June 29th, 2018) Shadron Gillett, Belize City Resident

“Well di younger generation dehn di come up, dehn wahn have to face it. Ih wahn worser than how it deh right now.”

It is expected that upon his release from the hospital, Shadron Gillett will be charged with murder.

Isani Cayetano reporting for News Five.