Mother loses second son to gun violence
There was another murder over the weekend–according to our records number eighty for the year–but for one Belize City woman the death of sixteen year old Faron Felix is a loss beyond any statistic. News Five’s Marion Ali has the story.
Therese Felix, Second Son Murdered
“This year we were preparing for our Christmas. We were talking about what we’ll do. “Mom we have to do this and we have to do that” and this is what they did to me? Mein, no man, I can’t handle that. Not my baby. I was strong with Tyrone. Marion I’m weak.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
Tonight Therese Felix is mourning the loss of her second child killed by gun violence. Sixteen year old Faron Felix had just left home on Gill Street shortly before seven o’clock on Friday evening to run an errand for his mother when his life was cut short. He was walking with his friend, nineteen year-old Cordel Flores, near the corner of Central American Boulevard and Faber’s Road when the shots rang out.
Therese Felix
“My little boy works at Atlantic Bank. He came home Friday evening happy, happy and he told us what the bank wants to do for him. And I was happy for him. News was on cause he’s not a boy who stays out late. I told him go buy habanero for me right on the Boulevard. He said “yes ma, but I have to work in the morning” so he told everybody that he would not stay out late that night. Cause he’s not the type to come in nine, ten o’clock. From six-thirty sometimes he’s in his house. Anyway I sent him to go buy the pepper. Next thing I hear an amount of gunshots.”
Faron Felix was shot four times: in the right side of the abdomen, the right upper rib cage, in the upper right leg, and the left hand. He died about two hours later from a bullet wound that ruptured his liver. His mother says she has no idea why anyone would want to kill her son as he was an ambitious youth who wanted to better himself in life. This evening Crimes Investigations Branch boss, Superintendent Aaron Guzman, says police also cannot yet figure out who would want Felix dead.
Superintendent Aaron Guzman, Officer Commanding, C.I.B.
“As it stands right now there is only one witness so far and based on the statement of that one witness we are following through with our investigation but we have not arrested anyone as yet.”
Marion Ali
“Would that witness be the other witness who was also shot, Mr. Cordel Flores?”
Superintendent Aaron Guzman
“I’m speaking independently of Flores because I consider it to be one incident that they were together, Flores and Felix, so, yes, he is a witness but he’s also considered a victim first, foremost than a witness, but I’m talking of someone else.”
Marion Ali
“What was the motive of the shooting?”
Superintendent Aaron Guzman
“As far as we know Mr. Flores is saying he has no idea why he was shot so the police has to look further into that investigation and see if we can find the true reason behind these fellows being shot on Friday night.”
Guzman says while they have a lead they’re following, so far they have no suspects.
Police believe the gunman or gunmen hid behind the Port Loyola Preschool cement fence at the corner of Central American Boulevard and Faber’s Road. Felix expressed anger that the fence, coupled with no lights on the basketball court it surrounds, was the perfect hiding spot for her son’s attackers and its dismantling was the topic of much discussion. However, those talks did not result in anything. Superintendent Guzman said tearing down the fence is easier said than done.
Superintendent Aaron Guzman
“We do find certain areas to be problematic areas and if suggestions are made by us it’s only suggestion because we have to realize that we are not the owners of those properties, noh.”
Meanwhile, Therese Felix, who is one of the founding members of the group called “Mothers Organized for Peace”, admits the senseless murder of her son will make it difficult for her to stay the course.
Therese Felix
“It makes me ignorant, it makes you think different. Maybe after a while when I’m finished cooling off it might make me thing a different way but it will not be this year, maybe next year. I have to rest myself for a while and try get back but I have to cool off first before I get back because right now Marion I’m mad like I said. He was my baby; sixteen years, not even start his life yet to have those two punks shot my son that way, four bullets.”
The other young man who was shot, nineteen year-old Cordel Flores, was released from the K.H.M.H after receiving treatment for his bullet wound just above the left ankle.
Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.
Twenty-four year old Tyrone Felix was killed on Mother’s Day 2006. Two men have been charged for the murder. A third son, eighteen year old Roy Felix, was wounded by gunfire on September seventh of this year, but survived the attack.
