Kurtis Usher Ambushed, Killed in Libertad; Baby Grazed to the Head
Kurtis Usher
Within hours, there were reports of another murder on Saturday night, only this time in Libertad Village in the Corozal District. Kurtis Usher had just returned home along with his common-law wife and their three-year-old son when a gunman opened fire in their direction. Usher was mortally wounded while the baby was grazed to the head. But who could have wanted Usher dead and why remains a mystery. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Around nine p.m., thirty-six-year-old Kurtis Usher, his common-law-wife Jasmine Williamson and their three-year-old son arrived at their home in Libertad Village. They did not know that a gunman was waylaying them in a patch of sugarcane stalks across the street. Usher and his son were on the veranda, Williamson had not even gotten out of the vehicle, when the gunman opened fire in their direction.
Jasmine Williamson
Jasmine Williamson, Common-law Wife of Deceased
“Just di come out of the car when we hear the bushes he mi done deh up yah with the baby. And when we hear the bushes we look and same time I mi di step out and I just see the person come out and start shoot up. And I just get back out of the car and close the door, but the baby stay out yah. So I had to come out of the car and come grab the baby and put ahn ina di car with me. I just see my bwai run dah back ah di house, but I neva know if he get hurt or so.”
The bullet holes on the veranda are the telltale signs of the indiscriminate shooting by the gunman, who used a high-powered rifle. Usher was shot and ran behind the house where he collapsed; his son was grazed to the head. Williamson sat in shock as the barrage of bullets was fired in the direction of her husband and son. As the blasts subsided, she ran to veranda to retrieve her son and put him in the vehicle.
Jasmine Williamson
“I had to come out of the car and come grab he and dah when I conscious that fi he head di bleed up then I di wait for my bwai come out from the back. But aye…I just deh in deh di wait but I can’t wait no more so I come out and run gone dah the neighbour. And when I run pass the back dehn dah when I hear he pan the ground. I neva know he get hurt. And I couldn’t stop, so I just continue run.”
Voice of: Oscar Usher, Brother of Deceased
“A dark-skinned male person just start to shoot from way off of the street. The baby mi come behind ahn; the baby slight head injuries but nothing too serious. He end up the run behind the house and he mi done get shot already. Dah just wah coward person. You want deal with somebody, you come face to face, noh be a [bleep] behind a man back, wait till ih back turn fuh do weh yo want do.”
Duane Moody
“I know you and your bredda mi really close, at any point he mi di say that he had anybody weh mi di threaten his life of anything?”
Kurtis Usher
Voice of: Oscar Usher
“He neva tell me nothing about hat. I mi deh up yah about a week ago.”
Police say they have limited information to go by at the time as investigation continues into this latest homicide in the north.
Hilberto Romero
ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
“We have limited information that we are going on and that is all that we have at this time. Detectives are presently doing interviews and going through the evidence that was found at that scene but that is all the information that we have at this time.”
Reporter
“And Mister Usher, two expended shells were found believed to belong to his fire. So is it the case that he returned fire?”
ACP Hilberto Romero
“We are not sure. He was at his house and shots were fired towards him. We are not sure if he fired any shots.”
Reporter
“But does he have a licensed firearm?”
ACP Hilberto Romero
“I will need to check.”
The family says that it is an absolutely shock because Usher was a jovial and loving person.
Voice of: Oscar Usher
“Dah my baby brother and I noh wah say nobody dah angel. You will have, yo know. I noh deh round ahn fuh see weh ih di do, but when I come round, my bredda dah wah nice person. If you know he, jovial person, like give jokes, friendly to everybody.”
Jasmine Williamson
“He mean the world to me. He dah my G. We heng everyday; we always deh together. Kurtis dah mi wah very nice person; he always di give jokes, always di laugh up.”
Reporter
“I’m sure you guys had plans. What were some of those plans?”
Jasmine Williamson
“We had lot of plans; now they are just broken. I wah miss ahn noh.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
