Young man gunned down in year’s twenty-first murder

It’s the same story…gunshots, another man dead and grieving relatives begging for justice. And as News Five’s Marion Ali reports again, even the police are stumped for clues to the shooter.

Marion Ali, Reporting
The year’s twenty-first murder occurred in front of one of Belize City’s oldest night spots on Regent Street West. Just after midnight, twenty-six year old Shaun Avilez was with two friends walking from Kim’s Nightspot on Church Street to a lodge hall event on Regent Street West when he was shot dead.

Avilez, who was hit in the back, died at the scene. His friend, twenty-seven year old Donovan Bailey, was also injured but lived to tell the story.

Donovan Bailey, Friend of Deceased
“He meet us at Kim’s and he was talking to my friend, walking behind me and my friend. When they walk, we mi deh with three young lady but they was walking head of us. When I walk to go in to meet them, then the shot they went off. They went off, I noh have to look back to see dah who or whatever. Like I know now dat I get shot so I just run fi my life. I fall down, peel up my hand and my knees them.”

Marion Ali
“Shots came from in front, behind, how?”

Donovan Bailey
“From behind. Ih hit mi yah and come out from the front.”

Marion Ali
“You neva si where ih come form, if somebody di walk or ride …?”

Donovan Bailey
“No, I noh know if they middi walk or ride or eena vehicle. I noh know.”

Marion Ali
“Unnu mi receive any threats dah night or had any problems with anybody?”

Donovan Bailey
“No we neva had no problem with nobody.”

The third friend, Vassel Balan, escaped hail of bullets altogether. Area resident Julian Sanchez says he was awakened by the gunshots.

Julian Sanchez, Heard Gunshots
“I just get up just in time when I hear some gunshot right. Soh I peep out and when I peep out I see wah young man pan di middle ah di street di lay dong wid ih Belikin pint. I feel shake up because the first one mi happen some couple yards. Wah young man dread, wah dread guy, ih happen right here. Bout two, three, four months ago something like that. So again.”

Marion Ali
“How yo feel that this di happen eena yo neighbourhood?”

Julian Sanchez
“I noh feel good cause I buck up to lotta bad guys too weh want hurt me right. so I don’te feel good about it.”

This was not the first time that Shaun Avilez had been shot, as some years ago he had taken a bullet in a previous attack. His grandmother, Helen Kemp Avilez, says she does not know who would want her grandson dead.

Helen Kemp Avilez, Grandmother of Murder Victim
“About five, six years ago, he was with young man weh they mi want to shot and it was his friend and they shot the young man and he had got shot through yah to the next side. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Anytime when I seh Shaun no go out, ih seh gran I noh do nobody nothing, I noh have to fraid fi nobody cause me and nobody noh have nothing, nothing. Ih seh the most thing I do, I love people. I give weh my money to them. If they si me ovah deh they could call me and me wah give them Guiness, I noh have no enemy. So ih seh unnu noh have to worry bout me, nobody noh wah do me nothing and that da exactly weh happen. I heard the gunshots and I said maddas, I seh somebody pickney get it again, never know da mi own.”

The city’s latest murder have police officers searching for a motive.

Inspector Hilberto Romero, Deputy O.C., C.I.B.
“We could not ascertain who were the persons at the area, just that they were walking when several shots were heard coming from behind a house.”

Marion Ali
“They were shot from behind.”

Inspector Hilberto Romero
“Yes, they have gunshots from behind.”

Marion Ali
“So this person must have been trailing them.”

Inspector Hilberto Romero
“Well, that is a probability that he knew that they were going to pass in that area.”

Marion Ali
“Where have your investigations led you so far?”

Inspector Hilberto Romero
“Like I mentioned, we have several persons detained and we are continue our investigation and these persons are being interviewed to see what we can come up with.”

Marion Ali
“Do you link this latest murder to the precious spate of murders that have been happening over the recent weeks?”

Inspector Hilberto Romero
“We do not have anything directly to connect them but there is a probability that they are connected but we have nothing solid to say yes they are connected.”

Marion Ali
“Have you recovered any shells or guns?”

Inspector Hilberto Romero
“Only shells, nine millimetre shells were found. No weapons have been found.”

According to Romero, they aren’t even sure if Avilez and his companions were the intended targets.

Inspector Hilberto Romero
“We have several operational patrols. We have step up our intelligence sources and we continue to work together, we continue to work as one department to try and solve these crimes.”

Marion Ali
“The beefing up of the patrols doesn’t seem to be working sir. The murders continue.”

Inspector Hilberto Romero
“We try what could do. We cannot be at all places at the same time. Like I mentioned, we continue to step up our patrols, we have teams investigating and try to see how we can solve these cases.”

Marion Ali
“Are these murders just old beef that result in shootings or gang rivalry a combination of both? Can you link them?”

Inspector Hilberto Romero
“Probably they are a combination of all the mentioned. We continue the investigation to get to the bottom of it.”

Marion Ali
“Has the department tried to call in these fellows to try to talk them out of these criminal activities?”

Inspector Hilberto Romero
“Well, we have several youth programmes available for these youths and we try our best to try to bring them in and speak to them.”

Shaun Avilez leaves behind a five year old son and a pair of twins aged two months old. Marion Ali for News Five.

Police have managed to ascertain that Avilez’s attacker was armed with a nine millimetre handgun.