Dean Tillett killed during ride-by shooting

This morning’s second murder was around seven-twenty at the corner of Kraal and Faber’s Road. The victim was shot several times at close range by someone on a bicycle. The shooter was so brazen to carry out his act that armed Belize Defense Force and uniformed police officers patrolling nearby did not deter him. Reports are that after he shot his target, the armed police and B.D.F. soldiers nearby pursued him, but could not catch up with him. Marion Ali also followed this story.

Clement Palacio, Police Press Officer
“The other person was again affiliated with persons that are gang members from the area that he lives.”

Marion Ali
“Do the police believe that the two murders today are related?”

Clement Palacio
“Again, we will not come to that conclusion, but again the remedial action that we are trying to take is what I’ve just mentioned, conflict resolution.”

Marion Ali, Reporting
While police have not confirmed that today’s two murders were connected to each other, they believe the second victim, Dean Tillett, had ties to a gang. But his sister-in-law, Michelle Williams, denies this.

Michelle Williams, Sister-in-law of Dean Tillett
“He dah no member ah no gang, but dah di areas weh yoh live, dehn mark yoh. Ih kip to ihself, never had no friend; only ih family weh deh round ah.”

Williams says Tillett’s attacker pounced on him while he was working out.

Michelle Williams
“Ih get up from six o’clock every morning goh, goh ride. Ih goh ride all about and ih dah wah person noh mess wid nobody. So I noh know weh dah mi di outcome ah di shooting or weh happen di reason why dehn kill ah. He goh ride every where, noh care weh deh tell ah weh di happen bout yah eena di city, he seh he noh do nobody nothing soh he entitled fi goh everywhere weh part ih want goh.”

But Tillett did not return home. He was shot twice in the abdomen and once to the face, wounds that killed him on the spot. Police are looking for one suspect, a man who reportedly rode up to Tillett and fired four shots at close range. Marion Ali for News Five.

Dean Tillett was convicted in 1996 of the murder of Hindu businessman, Suresh Gidwani. But he appealed and was released when it could not be established that he was the man who committed the murder. The week started with the murder of Leonel Donaire, whose body was found on Rio Grande Crescent on Tuesday morning. Donaire’s hands were bound with duct tape and he was shot to the head.