There is the murder of a teenager to report tonight, but this one didn't happen in Belize City which is now on day 18 of its sustained state of peace. This killing happened in Lords Bank Village last night, sometime after 10 p.m.
The victim, 17 year-old Brandon Bradley, was only a short distance away from home but, he never made it because he was ambushed and shot by an unknown assailant or assailants. His family found his lifeless body in the bushes, where he had run for cover from the gunfire.
So, why was this hard-working student killed? That's the answer that our news team went looking for in Lords Bank:
Daniel Ortiz reporting
17 year-old Brandon Bradley's body was found here on the side of the main road into Lords Bank Village. He was only a stone's throw away from his house when he was gunned down. His mother heard the gunshots and instinctively knew that it was her child who had been shot.
Voice of: Joshlyn Bradley - Sister of Deceased
"He was riding to go home. He called my mom before he reached and when my mom heard the shot, my mom told my sister that Brandon got shot and then my mom ran out and she just saw his slippers and then she started to look for him."
Voice of: Neighbor - Heard the gunshots
"When they went in the bushes, they found him there. After that they brought him out to the street."
Voice of: Joshlyn Bradley - Sister of Deceased
"It was my mom that found him there. My mom and my brother tried to carry him out and then put him down on the ground."
Reporter
"Was he alive at the time when they found him?"
Voice of: Joshlyn Bradley - Sister of Deceased
"Nope."
Today, Ladyville police were unable to share much information on the case because according to them, the investigation is in its early stages.
ASP Juanito Cocom - OC, Ladyville Police
"Ladyville detectives responded to an area on the Lord's Bank Road by the entrance of Green Garden Estate. On the side of the road the detectives observed the motionless body of a brown-skinned Hispanic decent slim-built male person laying face up with appeared to be gunshot wounds to his chest. The body was identified as that of Brandon Randy Bradley, 17 year old Belizean student of ITVETT who resides in Lord's Bank Village."
"The scene was processed, 2 expended round were found on the road. The body was taken to the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital where it awaits a postmortem at the morgue. The investigations continues."
Residents tell us that shortly before he was gunned down, he was hanging out at this unnamed shop, which is less than half a mile away from his house. He was with his brother, and he decided to head home. He was riding home when a gunman shot him right here on the road. It is believed that he ran into this open space in the fence to get away from his attacker, and that's where he took his last breath. That's a cruel end to his life, and his family thinks that the gunman disliked him simply because of his personality.
Voice of: Joshlyn Bradley - Sister of Deceased
"I think it's because of jealousy, the way that he kept to himself and he is a person who saves his money and he get what he wants. He works hard for his money. I think it's just that the person who dealt with him didn't like how he behaves. He just kept to himself. He doesn't have too much company. We are just grieving right now, but we know that he is a good person. He changed his life to be an electrician and he was studying to be just that. Just the other day, he was talking to my other brother that he wanted to build his house. He is not bad influence."
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"What is one of the things you will remember about him the most as your brother?"
Voice of: Joshlyn Bradley - Sister of Deceased
"His smile and he always looked out for me. He is a nice good person and you could have spoken to him whenever you have problems."
But, under that quiet and reserved demeanor, was a young man with big dreams.
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"We understand that he recently graduated from TUBAL and he enrolled over at ITVETT. Tell us about that?"
Voice of: Joshlyn Bradley - Sister of Deceased
"He graduated first and they gave him a scholarship, but he didn't accept, because he wanted to go to ITVETT to finish his electrical. He told me when he finishes that. When he went to ITVETT, he came in first and he told me that he wanted to study more and I told him why don't he become a pilot and he its true, that he should do that."
Of note is that Bradley had a bag on him when he left the shop. Neither the bag nor his bicycle could be found last night after he was killed.
He recently graduated from the Tubal Trade & Vocational Institute, and according to his family, he came in first in his class. At the time of his death, he was enrolled at the ITVET.
| 