Belize City Council Strongly Condemns Gun Violence

Micah Goodin

Deputy Mayor Micah Goodin was cleared of criminal charges by the police department over the weekend, following a shooting incident on Saturday morning that left twenty-year-old Tae Medina with a graze to the neck.  Goodin claims that he did not discharge his licensed firearm; however, he has had to surrender the weapon for ballistics testing, along with two others that were confiscated from Tarique James and Kenyon Tillett.  While an investigation into the matter continues, Goodin came forward on social media on Monday evening with his account of what transpired after an evening on the entertainment strip on Friday.  According to the councilor, he was merely attempting to diffuse tension between two groups of young men and while driving away from the scene of the verbal exchange a barrage of gunshots was fired.  Police say that three shots were fired from Goodin’s Nissan Rogue, while four shots were fired in return from Tillett’s licensed firearm. Those bullets shattered the back glass of Goodin’s S.U.V, injuring shadow youth councilor Medina on the neck.  A different version of what took place that night is also being put forward by someone who claims to be Medina’s brother. He alleges that Medina was not taken to the hospital for medical treatment and that he was instead dropped off at his residence and that his mother subsequently took him to the hospital. In a release issued by the Belize City Council this evening, City Hall denounced gun violence.  It also said, “the incident that unfolded over the past weekend involving the Deputy Mayor and a Shadow Youth Councilor infringes on our core values, that of protecting our women, children and youths while providing an environment that foster amity”.