One dead, teen wounded in City shooting

One man is in the morgue and another in the hospital following a fatal weekend shooting in Belize City.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Around eight-thirty on Saturday night twenty year old Meldric Tyrone Flowers was riding his bicycle on Raccoon Street Extension with fifteen year old Michael Malic sitting on the handle bar when they were hit by a hail of bullets.

Peter Flowers, Father of Murder Victim
“And by the time he reach wah lamppost weh the light stay the come on and off, dah deh the person shoot and shoot the lee boy off the bike and put eight bullets inna him.”

“I noh know if more shot deh pan him but the shot weh I the count dah like three this side, one here, one here, one here, one in here so and one around here so. I noh know nothing bout his back.”

Flowers was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital but he had already succumbed to his injuries. Malic remains hospitalized in a critical condition.

Jacqueline Godwin
“Somebody was telling us that early that day, the person that the police have detained in connection with your son’s killing is the same individual who punched him in his mouth earlier that day?”

Peter Flowers
“I hear the same thing to. They tell me that some young boy and him mi have some argument and the boy push him and he gone bout his business and he gone back in the same neighbourhood after that.”

Authorities however would not say if the young man is their main suspect only that he has been detained for questioning. The police have also in custody one of the victim’s brothers to prevent any possible retaliation.

Peter Flowers
“They say for crime prevention. They got him from Saturday night. They pick him up dah hospital just before we ker the body inna the morgue; they seh they the keep him there for crime prevention. They told me that they mi wah let him go this morning and they still got him hold up to now.”

The homicide is the latest to occur on the city’s Southside where a number families who are acquainted. According to Shenny Middleton over the last two weeks she has attended funeral services for fifteen year old Jomo Lamb and twenty year old Shane Donovan Leslie. This week she gets ready to bury her own son.

Jacqueline Godwin
“Why would anyone target him?”

Shenny Middleton, Mother of Murder Victim
“No, My son dah noh no angel but when them gunshot and thing with them lee boy, my friends them son weh dead and so, I tell him mek him come home early and keep off the streets dah night. He seh he noh do nobody nothing so he noh the hide cause he come home all hours of the night. Down dah Raccoon Street he have friends weh he go hang out with and sit down pan the boulevard. He mess round and so but he noh kill nobody, he noh do nothing fi like really hurt nobody so I noh know.”

Peter Flowers also believe the bullets were not meant for his son but he is concerned over the lack of concrete initiatives to curb the violence.

Peter Flowers
“I the try figure out dah weh the happen. The way how I see it like nobody care bout nothing. Anytime they go sit down dah Belmopan all they talk bout dah D.F.C. and Social security. Nobody want get together and seh mek we talk bout crime and life. They noh the think bout that.”

Police have still not recovered the weapon believed to be a nine millimetre pistol.

Belize City police say besides detaining one man, they have been questioning a number of other persons. If you can provide information please call Crime Stoppers at 0-800-922-8477.