1 man shot and chopped to death while another is hospitalized

Shane Simpliss

Earlier we told you about a murder in the city. Hours later, in the western village of Teakettle, a twenty-four year old man was shot in the chest and chopped on the head and arm. Shane Simplis’ family is still in shock at the brutal murder that happened when he was among a group of friends. Another victim of the brawl was a minor who is recovering at the Western Regional Hospital. News Five’s Andrea Polanco spoke to Elton Vasquez in Belmopan.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

On Wednesday night between the hours of seven and eight a group of about seven friends were at this house socializing, when two others paid seventeen year old Elton Vasquez a visit. That visit ended with the murder of twenty four old Shane Simplis while Vasquez is hospitalized. Today, the teenager who wished to appear off camera recounted the events from his hospital bed.

Elton Vasquez: Hospitalized

“Five minutes after my uncle left, the man they haul up ina di yard and I walk into the man dehn cause I think dehn mi wah talk to me. I see the man wap me with a gun and then bally chop me. After that, I walk weh from them. I tell my bredda bwai they chop me—the man deh chop me deep. Then I walk back and di yard and I gone sit down. Then from there, all ah di bwai dehn run. When they run, Simpliss run come and ask weh gone on. I seh di man they chop me. I tell di man run cause I noh know weh di man dehn di deal with. And the man dehn run and the man run behind the yard. Simpliss run around the house and same time bally mi di come and ih look like they see Simpliss the run round and the bally they turn round back  and when they turn round now, they meet Simpliss close up and they shot ahn ina ih chest and then the man chop and then bally chop ahn two times ina ih head.”

Andrea Polanco

“So all ah this happen outside ina di yard dah your house?”

Elton Vasquez

“Yeah right dah my house. All ah my door; cause my door deh got two door right and dah right round deh two door ih happen. Di way how deh come dah like the two we deh mi wah kill because how bally chop me, ih look like only one bullet ina di gun. Cah bally chop me fi kill me and when I walk weh ih look like they safe the bullet fi bally because they mi think the bally mi wah run after they done chop me and thing. So dah mi ina my head dehn mi wah chop me and I just give the man my back because I mi half dizzy and thing after they wap me with the gun and thing to.”

Adalia Simplis is still in shock that her son was brutally killed for simply trying to break up a fight:

Adalia Simplis: Mother

“Ih gone help one ah ih friend because deh mi di tek advantage of ah and when he see that deh have wah gun, ih run and deh run ah down and deh shoot ah. Deh run ah down and chase ah round and round the house three times and shoot ah.”

Andrea Polanco

“You know how many guys were involved in this incident?”

Adalia Simplis

Adalia Simplis

“Two, two ah deh that’s why deh get fi kill my baby because dah two ah deh that’s why deh get fi kill my baby because dah two ah dem. Deh tag team ah when one gone one way the next one gone the other way. One had a machete and the next one had the gun.”

But the parents of the two young men say their sons were not troublemakers.

Gabrole Vasquez

“Fi seh deh dah bad bwai to that extent not that I know of and ih grandpa live right next to deh and everybody who know we, know we reasonable enough like good people.”

Andrea Polanco

“Suh Shane was he somebody who maybe had problems in the village, any enemies or anything like that?”

Adalia Simplis

“Nuh weh I know about but then again I dah just the ma. I nuh really know. I nuh di seh that my son dah wah perfect angel but he dah neva wah perfect tyrant either.”

The suspects believed to be involved are no strangers to both families.

Andrea Polanco

“So these are guys from right around here in the village?

Adalia Simplis

“Right around here in the village.”

Andrea Polanco

“Are they people who Shane was familiar with?”

Adalia Simplis

“As far as I know all ah deh dah mi friends. The lee bwai weh chop ah used to come dah my house right ya, eat outta my son plate. Ih use to complain to my son bout the abuse weh ih suffer from ih pa. And he turn around and chop mi son.”

Andrea Polanco

Gabrole Vasquez

“Suh you and the guys weh involve inna dis unu dah mih friends, unu mi straight otherwise?”

Elton Vasquez

“We neva have no hard talks with deh bally deh neva yet. I tell yoh I just come from them half an hour ago. So we mi di talk good and everything. If they mi wah do me anything, they could ah mi do me from I gone dah fi dehn yard. Nothing neva gone on and thing.”

Andrea Polanco

“So you know more or less maybe why dehn gone and attack unu?”

Elton Vasquez

“I noh got no idea. Like I say I noh do they bally nothing so I noh know why dehn bally come deal with me fah like that. And they come fi kill too. I noh know why they want kill fah but ah nuh know weh gone on.”

Gabrole Vasquez is trying to understand what could have led to his son’s injuries and Shane’s murder.

Gabrole Vasquez

“I woulda wah get wah clear picture ah wat actually happen why deh duh Elton that cause he dah my son and I raise deh up the best I could. Deh lee mischievous cause deh dah all kids. I wudda feel satisfied fi know why deh duh ah that.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Andrea Polanco.