An Appeal for Peace and Calm Following Dalla Kite’s Murder
Businessman Carlton Wade was gunned down at his shop in Hattieville on Wednesday night just before he closed for the day. Inside the store were his two grandchildren, while his wife was in the upper flat. Wade lost his life at the hands of two gunmen, but he valiantly protected his grandchildren. Now, Wade is well-known and liked in the village for his generosity; and as the family grieves the senseless murder, they are making a public appeal with the hope of stemming any retaliatory violence in the days ahead. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Sixty-three-year-old Carlton “Dalla Kite” Wade, a businessman from Hattieville, was shot and killed during a robbery on Wednesday night. It is believed that his attackers are a pair of young men from the community who had been surveying premises prior to carrying out the dastardly act. In the wake of Wade’s senseless murder, his common-law wife is appealing to the public to refrain from taking matters into their own hands, as the well-known proprietor was loved by many.
Louise Bailey, Common-law Wife of Deceased
“My plea to the gunmen is to ask for repentance, ask God to forgive them so that they don’t hurt anybody else’s child. And I am appealing to the public not to take revenge because those young men that hurt my common-law could be their very own son, it could be their very own brother, it could be their very own nephew. How would you feel if your child or your nephew killed another man? Would you like them to take revenge?”
In speaking with the media on Thursday, Assistant Superintendent Alejandro Cowo informed that a teenager below the age of eighteen had been detained for questioning regarding the incident.
ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B, Belize City
“We suspect that they are from the neighboring village. At this moment I know that a minor is detained and he is presently being interviewed with regard to this same murder investigation. I know that also police, on the scene they found a toy gun. Apparently that was being utilized by one of the suspects.”
Louise Bailey, who had been in a common-law union with Wade for almost ten years, particularly calls upon the various gangs in Belize City and Hattieville to desist from avenging his murder.
“I am appealing to Conch Shell Bay, I am appealing to George Street, I am appealing to everywhere, I am appealing to Hattieville and I am appealing to everybody not to take revenge, leave it to God. God will take revenge, because Mr. Carlton has a lot of friends. He is friends with the Crips, with the Bloods, with everybody. He noh have no enemy and I know that people wahn feel for ahn so I am appealing, let go and just allow God to take control.”
Bailey acknowledges that her husband died in an act of bravery, doing his best to protect them from the gunmen. Bailey has come to terms with the harrowing experience that took place on Wednesday night and has forgiven Wade’s killers.
“Mr. Carlton, he died but he died as a hero fighting for his grandkids and common-law wife because he took the bullet for us and I feel very bad because the gunman had no heart. There was a little baby that is three-years-old, when they gunned him down cruelly, you know, and he da noh wahn person weh give trouble, he da noh wahn person weh fass with people. He da wahn peaceful person, he da wahn loving person, he da wahn kind person. He always try fi help. He always seh put God first. But I have one message to the gunman, my message is that I forgive them. The reason why I have forgiven them is because Christ forgave me.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.