2 murders; 16 year old bystander and mechanic executed
Kenyon Plunkett
The gang war that is being fought in quiet and productive communities is racking up unapologetic collateral damage. Innocent bystanders are no longer being spared but targeted by gunmen who can’t find their opponents in rival neighborhoods. A minor, sixteen year old Trevor Neal, who was shot on Wednesday, died early this morning. And this afternoon it appears that one gunman found his target and executed a mechanic, a stone’s throw away from Ghost Town. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports on both murders.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The interminable spate of gun violence in Belize City has claimed the lives of a number of individuals since the beginning of this year, some who were intended targets and others who simply turned out to be collateral damage in ongoing gang rivalries. The mass of sand in this alley, an offshoot of Lakeview Street, serves as a marker where Kenyon Plunkett collapsed after being shot once to the head. His blood which pooled under the fatal injury has since been covered.
Voice of: Resident
“We were inside and all we heard was like one single gunshot and I said well that sounds like a gunshot and we came by the door and we saw that it was the guy on the ground and blood just oozing out of his head.”
The twenty-nine year old auto mechanic had just returned from running an errand when he was attacked and executed.
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
“Kenyon Plunkett was riding a bicycle towards an alley off Lakeview Street where he had his motor vehicle parked and almost upon reaching where his vehicle was a lone gunman fired a single shot that hit him in the back of the head.”
The incident occurred at midday, less than fifteen feet away from where Plunkett worked. Not far from the scene of the shooting was his parked Nissan Sentra.
Isani Cayetano
“I understand that he was a mechanic in this neighborhood working for Malic’s trucking.”
Voice of: Resident
“Well I suppose because he is always around here so I think he works right over there.”
Isani Cayetano
“Do you know if there has been any other altercation with this young man in this neighborhood prior to what happened earlier this morning?”
Voice of: Resident
“No because we noh really mess around [with anybody around here] so we wouldn’t know anything about that, altercation, nothing. We know we heard one shot and we look out and we saw him on the floor, the ground.”
Fitzroy Yearwood
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood
“We have recovered a point forty caliber expended shell from the scene so we know that the weapon of choice was a prohibited firearm. Plunkett was transported by people in that area to the K.H.M.H. where he succumbed to his injuries sometime after twelve this afternoon.”
This latest murder was preceded by that of sixteen year old Trevor Neal who was caught in the line of fire while riding his bicycle to work on Wednesday morning. Like Plunkett he too was shot in the back of the head not too far from where he was house-sitting. This morning we spoke with Trevor’s biological mother at the KHMH.
Trevor Neal
Celia Neal, Biological Mother of Trevor Neal
“The father he gaan and he get ahn fi watch wah house eena da area. From I hear ih eena da area I di try fi mek ih move from di area because I know the area hot, yo understand me.”
Trevor Neal was gunned down in the vicinity of Cemetery Road near its intersection with West St. That neighborhood has become a virtual war zone where members of both the George Street Gang and those from Taylor’s Alley have been preying upon each other.
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood
“We have upgraded our investigation to murder since this morning. Trevor succumbed to his injury sometime after ten at the Karl Heusner whilst undergoing treatment. We still have a person detained and we’re looking for another. This person that is detained we believe that he has some involvement in this crime.”
Celia Neal
Celia Neal
“When I hear the news that ih get shot I come straight da hospital, nothing I coulda mi do. I just prayed but God knows best, you know. It’s all I could say.”
Meanwhile a suspect is also in police custody pending an investigation into the murder of Kenyon Plunkett.
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood
“We have one person detained that we believe can shed some light on this investigation and we’re looking for another person from that area that we believe had some involvement in orchestrating this crime.”
Belize City police have not been able to ascertain whether the incidents are related but what they strongly believe is that Neal was not the intended target in Wednesday morning’s shooting. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
The deaths of Plunkett and Neal bring the murder count to forty-two since the start of the year.
If our government had any backbone, they would start implementing harsher punishment for perpetrators of senseless acts of violence such as this. I hope they would start implementing the death penalty and execute anyone found guilty of murder the day after sentencing. I wish as well that they would do it publicly but that is too much to ask for.
Find the killer, give him a fair trial, then HANG HIM.
No mercy for murder.
This immutable, perennial, or unrelenting madness by the gangs in Belize will never stop till the GOB actually put a cease to this absurdity with all the power he can muster.
Black gang members continue to kill their black brothers on the city’ streets, and for what?
The rest of us can no longer say let them kill themselves, we don’t care, because the reality of this ludicrousness is affecting everyone of us, and so we continue to call on our GOB to use his given power and send troops into those anti-social areas and literally set those !@#$%^& places on fire. (Collateral damage).
Where was all the police at these time of the day?I guess at lunch.These cold blooded murders should be shoot in the back of the head like dogs,when caught fleeing from police with a gun,to send a clear message.I can’t understand why the police is wasting time and man power,to pursue harmless marijuana and the dealers,we have a murder problem at hand,let’s get the guns and murders of the street’s first.what about a reward for information on the whereabouts of guns,and those in possession of those guns?The police should also bring murder charges on those who are caught with murder weapons,this could be used as a pawn to trace who all was in possession of that weapon,and where it came from.
and UPON CONVICTION……………..
Send them to THE SUSTAINABLE REHABILITATION CENTER….. aka…PRISON FARM…….
there THEY CAN EARN THEIR KEEP and CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY at no cost to tax-payers.
They can GROW FOOD FOR SCHOOL LUNCHES…. BUILD DESKS AND CHAIRS for schools, etc……..the least they can do is break rocks 12 hours a day.
BUILD THE SUSTAINABLE REHABILITATION CENTER TODAY…… for a BETTER TOMORROW.
The DEVIL finds work for IDLE HANDS…………….SO CAN WE.
The death penalty need to be implimented.I am calling on this incompitent Government to stop the genocide of the Belizean People.
Not everybody knows how to read creole.
Since you know and I know that this area has become a virtual war zone why does the police not keep a closer look on this area and try to flush these cowardly rats out. Remember, My Legacy B 4 My People.
Remove that …… Minister of Police. His mouth is bigger than everything. He has mouth Diarrhoea. Instead of finding sustainable solution, all he does is talk talk and talk pure bull.
why don’t somebody listen… put GPS on these suspect and have a unit track where they go 24/7
that would be a start ….why don’t somebody in the law enforcement listen and impliment….I don’t believe its all gang members are murderers…we are dealing with a couple of really professional guy… read…. listen to the news and see the profile pattern
why so motch kill
Well obviously we all end up sounding like monotonous fools eventually because none of our suggestions will be implemented. Next victim please!!!
put cameras on Taylors Alley and George street , with night vision capability. get cops to infiltrate these gangs. paid informants. a GSU unit permanent in these areas..where is the Minister of Police?? ..still vacationing in Miami..
Pick up all the big man dem from each hood and lock them down. If you cant find a charge right away charge dem with tax evasion.
Reel:The crackheads are going take down those cameras and sprang them out.
If there is no law against been a member of a gang in Belize, then such a law should be put into effect. Its clear that the police intellegence know who are gang members. That been the case all gang member should be fitted with a device that can track every move and able to tell which gang member use a fire arm that will include pin pointing the location and the time when the fire arm was used. Why should the law abiding citizens that by far are the majority of the population allow a few to keep you all in fear and prisoner to your house?
All you people talking need to do something to save your country. As usual, you all want someone else to come save you. Belizeans are just too damn lazy. We all know the leader of the country is not fit for the job. .So ,what is it that we expect?Ever heard of Robin Hood? Wake up you lazy…………….!