Trenton Webster Gunned Down in Belize City
Trenton Webster
The first murder in Belize City for the month of October and the first in the Old Capital since August occurred on Thursday night. Forty-two-year-old Trenton Webster lost his life to gun violence while standing in front of his home near Rasta Street, in the vicinity of Neal’s Pen Road. The sound of the gunshot echoed through the neighborhood, sending many residents scrambling for cover. Webster was an only child and his mother resides in the U.S. Police and medics were quick to arrive on the scene. News Five’s Paul Lopez tells us more about the sixty-ninth murder for 2023. Here is that report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Forty-two-year-old Trenton Webster and his fiancé began renting this apartment on Rasta Street a few months ago. Webster was reportedly deported from the U.S to Belize several years ago and has no immediate family in the country. On Thursday night, Webster was standing under this street light reportedly waiting for someone he sent to the nearby store, when a gunman approached him and shot him dead. More than twelve hours later, the spot where he fell is still marked. Minister of Home Affairs, Kareem Musa, says police believe Webster’s murder stems from an argument with the perpetrator.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“As I understand it the police do have a suspect that they were looking for. Apparently it came to this point because of an argument between the deceased and this particular gentleman. So the police will be doing its work to ensure that justice prevails and they make an arrest in this situation.”
Well-known Belizean artist, Alex Sanker is a longtime friend of Webster. News of the murder shocked him.
Alex Sanker
Alex Sanker, Friend of Deceased
“What was mind blowing when someone sent me the clipping of channel five’s breaking news I said no this is fake news. He is in New York. He said no Lex, he is here about a month or few. I was like, but I haven’t seen or heard, or basically I don’t really go on Albert Street much since I am so busy. But it was a total shock mien. Nuh wait fih the man dead to tell him he is good. But, bottom line is he definitely it, I am speechless mien, because knowing he got engaged and all that, it is like wow, this is the outcome.’
Reports are that Webster’s fiancé was inside the home, only a short distance away, when he was gunned down. They recently got engaged. But, Sanker says he never knew Webster to be a troublemaker.
Alex Sanker
“Like I always tell people, people say it is worldwide. Listen, I don’t want to hear what is going on in the world. I am concerned with what is happening in our country. You see tourist and everybody come here and say we are such a warm, comforting people, open, peaceful etc. But let us not sugarcoat this, we people of color in this country, black people. We are the only one that is doing this, like we have no value to life. Now ah days you have to be careful, if this is what happened I am not surprised. It is like one little quarrel. I don’t even know how to put it to words where we face this every day.”
Trenton Webster
The last murder to occur in Belize City was on the twenty-seventh of August, almost two months ago, when Orel Leslie was ambushed and killed on Albert Street. In late September, Belize City resident David Phillips was callously murdered in the 8 Mile Community. At the end of September, Belize’s murder count for 2023 stood at sixty-eight. This latest murder now adds to that statistic.
Kareem Musa
“As you know we have gone a few weeks or a month without having a murder of this nature. It speaks volumes to the type of work that the police is doing and LIU is doing and like I always say, one murder is one murder too many. While it is we are on track to have a record year in the number of low murders, since 2007, at the same time we have to be on our guard at all times. We have to be able to solve this particular murder.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
