Gunshot victim denies reports he set up shooting

Three days after two men were shot in Belize City, police say they have no leads and no suspects. Thirty two year old Ian “Horse” Reid and thirty four Stephen “Cat” Arnold were injured as they sat in a parked car on Dean Street. Tonight Reid remains in a coma on life support at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital but Arnold has been discharged. Today the gunshot victim spoke publicly about the incident to vehemently deny reports that he was behind the shooting.

Stephen Arnold, Shooting Victim
“Weh disturb me is how I come outta hospital this afternoon, as I come out, before I come out, the police man tell me how I set it up. So I want know how I coulda set up something like that. Then afterwards, bout fifteen minutes after that my friend come, he and wa gyal. The gyal tell me how she hear the same thing, I set it up. How I coulda set it up when I get all ah they ah to.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“So you were no way involved in this shooting?”

Stephen Arnold
“No kinda involvement with this shooting yah, coulda never be no involvement yah. If I mi involved I neva even mi wah get they ah kind ah shooting yah. They amount ah scar an bullet hole weh I got I noh even mi wah think bout set that up an deh ina the vehicle with he when that happen.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“What happened that Wednesday afternoon?”

Stephen Arnold
“Me and he was circling, gwen go buy something, well gone buy something, but we never did get through. We mek wa phone call to wa person an da person tell we ih mi the come right now with the thing weh we mi want buy. So we the wait deh now, I mi got my pikney ina my hand, this same hand yah, my five month old baby. So I still the trip bout when they the talk bout how da me the set it up, cause if I ever did set it up, I da mi wa move my pikney. If I mi move my pikney I neva even mi wa deh ina the vehicle at the moment. I mi wa stay out deh when I kerr my pikney out, if I mi set it up. That’s why I the trip, cause I mi got my baby at the same time to. Only a minute ago, when I move my pikney an gone back, the thing happen.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“You all saw the shooter approaching the vehicle?”

Stephen Arnold
“No, I no see it. I noh see it none at all cause I neva mi the pay that no mind. I just mi the go back ina the vehicle the sit down the wait fu the person weh we mi call fu mi gone buy something from. The same time Ian pass me the weed, I mi the smoke the weed an I mi got the weed ina my mouth like this. All I hear da POW! I mi think da wah dollar lighter bust; so I jump up. When I jump up I see my hand bloody. I lift up my shirt I see wah hole yah. So I look back ina the vehicle an I see Ian the lean like this pan the door side ah fu he hand, with blood the come outta fu he neck. So I run ina the yard and my people they tell me ‘let’s go mek I kerr yo da hospital. I tell they I noh want go da hospital without Ian. So I run ina the yard, run back out pan the kennel side and come back down. When I come back roun now, five minutes after that police man come an I tell them Ian get shot. I tell they Ian get shot an same time he am Mr. Grinage move Ian ina the passenger seat, they tell me get ina the back seat ah the vehicle. I get ina the back seat ah the vehicle and they drive two ah we da the hospital.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“So the same bullet that struck Ian in his neck is the same one that did all of this to you?”

Stephen Arnold
“Yes, same bullet did all ah this to we, me an Ian. If I mi set up something like that I neva mi wah tek the same thing we he tek. You think I mi set that up I mi wah deh in dey with he.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“Do you have any idea what triggered this shooting?”

Stephen Arnold
“No idea. I got no idea.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“The police are telling us that you are not cooperating with them so they are not making any head way with the investigation.”

Stephen Arnold
“I spoke to them this evening. I give they wah statement—I noh even sih nobody—I give they wa statement with weh happen to we, we I see happen to we. I noh sih nothing gone on, all I hear da POW, like I tell you right now. Then I jump up cause I feel wa stin. The weed ina my hand da wah dollar lighter, but I mi think the lighter bust. I get up an I drop the weed and I see my hand got on blood cause da mi wah white T-shirt I mi got on to, just like this. When I look up I see wah hole yah soh. I run out da my sista they, everybody dodge, everybody, from the Chiney people weh mi deh outta Chiney run. They look like they mi see the shooter to, but I never sih nobody.”