Well known Cayo resident Hart Gillett died in Belize City this afternoon after he was shot in the head last night in San Ignacio.
It happened at 9:55 last night at his home on Orange Street in that western town. According to the police report, the 44 year old got home last night - after he had fought with his common law Jacqueline Ibarra on the tenth.
He hadn't been home in a day - and she told police that he was contrite. She told him to leave her alone, and she claims he begged her not to leave him - and that if she did it would be, quote "over his dead body." She says that after he said that, he walked towards the door, took out his 9 millimeter pistol and pulled the trigger - shooting himself to the right side of the temple.
The bullet went straight through his skull - but Gillett who was a large and powerfully built man - survived. He was rushed ot the KHMH in Belize City where he was put on life support in the intensive care unit. The doctors pronounced him brain dead - and by this afternoon at 3:05, he passed away.
Police are ruling it as a suicide.
But, his family is not so sure. They say a cat scan showed that the bullet entered the left side of his head - and he was right handed - which tells them it could have been a homicide.
They told Daniel Ortiz more today:
Voice of: Arlette Gillett-Swasey - Sister of Shooting Victim
"I got a phone call at about 10:30 p.m., and when I received the phone call, it was my sister-in-law, his wife, and she told me that Harth got shot. But we didn't know if he died or not. I asked her if he was died, and she said that she didn't know. After that, she hung up and called back saying that yes, he did die. He was supposedly at San Ignacio morgue. I got a next phone call and the person told me that he wasn't dead. He got shot in his head, but he was at the emergency ward at KHMH. From there we just started calling the family members, but that's about what we know. I have no idea, all I know is that I got a phone call he got shot in the head; that's all. I can't tell you if he did it or not. I have no idea; I can't say, and I don't want to. He is on a ventilator, but blood keeps coming out of his eyes, his nose, and his mouth. He keeps on vomiting blood. So, to me, I feel like he already passed, it's just the machine that's keeping his body alive."
Daniel Ortiz
"Is Mr. Harth an individual who someone would figure that he would do something like this to himself?"
Voice of: Arlette Gillett-Swasey
"As his sister, personally, I can't tell you. His very close friends spoke to us this morning saying that they would never believe that he went down like that because he is a fighter. So, personally, I can't say because everyone makes their own decision in their own life. I can't say anything or him."
Hart Gillett was the father of 3 children.
A very interesting angle on this story comes from media colleague Luis Wade of PLUS TV. He tells us that Gillett called him last night at 9:00 to discuss a news story about a carjacking. Gillett was trying to get in touch with the victim, because he was confident he could recover the vehicle. Wade concludes that there is no way Gillett was in a frame of mind to end his life.
Wade says Gillett had planned to meet with the victim of that crime today - but 55 minutes later he was dead.
Gillett we note was also a former police officer.
And while the circumstances of his death are clouded, 7news passes on our condolences to his family; Hart had worked as an election correspondent on Channel 7 and KREM for the last four municipal and general elections.
He distinguished himself as a resourceful and mighty man, and he was also a good friend. His booming presence will be missed when the next elections rolls around.
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