Youth Gunned Down in Lake-I; Motive Still Unclear
Aaron Chavez
Tonight, a family is torn after their loved one is gunned down in Belize City. The incident happened in the Lake Independence area, on Zacaranda Street, sometime before ten a.m. The deceased, Aaron Chavez, was no stranger to the law, having been charged a few times with theft and robbery, but his family says that he is not affiliated with any gang and the police could not say so today. While investigators try to piece together this latest homicide and the motive for it, yet another family is left with questions and open wounds. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The bloodstains at the entrance of this yard mark the spot where nineteen-year-old Aaron Chavez collapsed and died after he was shot multiple times this morning. The incident happened in an area where a number of surveillance cameras are installed. While police have initiated their investigations, they would not say whether those cameras provide any useful evidence.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“This morning, sometime before 10 a.m., police received information of shots fired on Zacaranda Street. They responded and upon arrival, they saw the lifeless body of a male person who was later identified as Aaron Chavez. He displayed multiple gunshot injuries; he was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Investigators are currently probing the area, looking for clues, talking to people who may be able to provide information and can assist the police in this latest homicide in Belize City.”
Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams said that at this point, no motive has been established. While authorities had placed the hot zones in Belize City under a State of Emergency on July thirty-first, the Commissioner said that the preventative measure is not going to stop all murders from occurring, but he assured that the Belize Police Department is trying to discourage any retaliatory shooting.
Chester Williams
“Jamaica is under state of emergency for the past three years and check how much murder they’ve had since then. It is not a cure for all murders, there’s still going to be incidents, but certainly it does help, in terms of mitigating the amount of murders that we have. We’re exploring every possibility and we’ll do whatever we can to avert any retaliation should there be any.”
Police say that Aaron Chavez is from Mayflower Street, but could not say if he was affiliated with any gang. Today his sister, Sherilyn Ortiz told reporters off-camera that while her brother has his faults, he did not deserve his fate.
Voice of: Sherilyn Ortiz
Voice of: Sherilyn Ortiz, Sister of deceased
“My brother is no like no good guy or no saint, but he’s not a bad person either. He does not kill no one to deserve to no one to kill him.”
This is not the first time that the family has lost a loved one to gun violence. In May, 2018, Michelle Anderson, the mother of nine, was shot dead as she made a few purchases at the Michael Finnegan Market. Ortiz says that their mother’s murder impacted her brother’s life significantly.
Michelle Anderson
Voice of: Sherilyn Ortiz
“That really put a big impact on him because from since my mother died he just changes, you know, be a different person, not feel welcoming, you know, warm – that I can go to my mom eat, at least someone who have my back. So that put him in another different dimension and know, another world. And from then it’s like, nothing, never been the same again. And he never really the part of no gang. My brother nuh mess with gang. The only thing my brother might do, the only charge my bredda got da like theft or soh. But my bredda da nuh wa gang person, you know. He’s nuh gone up fi no murder nor things like that. Soh why dehn do this to him?”
Through the grief, Sherilyn Ortiz managed to smile when she remembered her last conversation with her sibling.
Marion Ali
“The last time you saw him, what was that conversation like?”
Voice of: Sherilyn Ortiz
“I have a laugh. The last time I talked to my brother, he asked me fi a $3 credit, to be honest. He like play Netflix, but ih nuh got no net weh part ih deh soh he seh send wa $3 credit fi mi. But I tell I wa send it later, but weh I got mi shop and thing, I get busy and I never did send the credit. Ih call mi back. Ih she nuh worry, yoh nuh send it fi mi but I done get it. Dah mussi one ah ih friend dehn. So I tell ah no day oh girlfriend send the credit fi yoh. Ih seh alright then, ih seh I love yoh Sis and I tell ah I love yoh to bredda.”
Marion Ali
“When was that?”
Voice of: Sherilyn Ortiz
“That was like day before.”
Marion Ali for News Five.
