Deadly Shooting on Corner of Arlington Drive and Mckenzie Lane, Belize City
Kevin Gillett
There was a murder on Thursday night in Belize City. Twenty-seven-year-old Kevin Gillett and forty-two-year-old Glenford Soberanis were with a group of men near the corners of Alrington Drive and McKenzie Lane when a gunman approached them and opened fire. Soberanis was hit on the right ankle, while Gillett received multiple gunshot wounds to the body. Those injuries led to Gillett’s unfortunate demise. His family believes it is a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, because Gillett left home moments earlier to make a purchase and was planning to return immediately after. News Five’s Paul Lopez visited the area this morning. He filed the following report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
A lone gunman opened fire on a group of men just after eight p.m. at the corners of Alrington Drive and McKenzie Lane in Belize City. The shooter was reportedly wearing a red t-shirt, when he emerged from a nearby property and fired multiple gunshots, hitting twenty-seven-year-old Kevin Gillett and forty-two-year-old Glenford Soberanis. Gillett died while undergoing surgery. Soberanis was treated and released. We spoke with Gillett’s cousin, Floreth Requeña. Requeña and Gillett grew up together, after Gillett’s mother moved to the U.S.
Floreth Requeña
Floreth Requeña, Cousin of Deceased
“His family member deh dah states from baby and he just rose up where I am so. He was attached to my grandma and she passed away, so he moved with his common laws. I remember Kevin as a baby, teenager, fourteen, fifteen, ih like fish. Ih like guh dah riverside. Ih wah bang school and guh with ih friends them. And ih would ah guh home after that.”
Paul Lopez
“He would get in trouble?”
Floreth Requeña
“Yes, but he nuh care, he done ih fishing. The next thing while growing up he was a hustler, I won’t like. He wah do one and two lee bad thing, but ih dah nuh no murderer. He did not deal with know gun, growing up.”
According to Requeña, Gillett spent most of his time at home with his common-law wife. On the night of his murder, he had reportedly left home to make a purchase nearby.
Floreth Requeña
“Ih would have been mostly with his family members the play feech and so forth, but friends no. but, at the time when the shooting occur, according to people and his common law, ih just gaan buy piece a fonto and you know, that dah when ih get shot. He never had no sort of conflict with nobody as far as I get fih understand and as far as I know. According to source, it’s wrong place at the wrong time. Deh mih want somebody and deh shooter ketch he.”
Gillett’s murder has left his family in disbelief; no one could have imagined that he would die at this age in such a manner.
Floreth Requeña
“Ih rough. Ih surprising because I nuh picture hom the die that way or end up that way deh, especially as somebody weh wrongflully you know, and like yo could sih this dah ih bredda and all weh we want sih dah justice. We need wah lee justice eena this. I understand deh pick up the person and deh let ah guh.”
According to Police, the gunman fled the scene in a waiting vehicle. There have been no official reports of anyone being detained for Gillett’s murder.
Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez
Late this evening notorious street figure, Kenneth “Big Tom” Flowers was reportedly shot near Police Street. Reports are that he had just exited the Mahogany Street Police Station when he was targeted by a gunman. News Five understands that the bullet grazed his foot.
