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Murder At Militia Hall - Teenage Soldier Is Suspect
posted (October 2, 2012)
Yesterday evening a volunteer soldier was killed at a BDF facility, the Militia Hall - which is at mile one on the Western Highway. The man who pulled the trigger is actually not a man, but a minor, a 17 year old - who is also a volunteer soldier - and was on guard duty with a loaded weapon.

As we understand it - it's the kind of thing that could have been settled with a few hard words - but due to the ready availability of an assault rifle it exploded into a fatal shooting.

Daniel Ortiz found out more about the death of Volunteer Clifford Cruz:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
It's a secure military compound, but this morning, Militia Hall was being processed as a murder scene after 21 year-old Clifford Cruz, a BDF volunteer, was shot to death by a 17 year-old who just started the program 2 months ago.

The teenager reportedly shot Cruz in the stomach with a rifle like this - an AR-15.

We can't show you the face of the accused or tell you his name because he is still a minor, but his cousin says that he was provoked.

Sheree Salgado - Cousin of the Accused
"Yesterday on my way home I received a call that an incident happen at the camp. I call his cell phone and he answered it, I guess he wasn't arrested as yet. I ask what happened and he said that he needs some clothes and that he was on his way to Queen Street Police Station. He said that he just shot someone. I ask is the person dead? and he said that he doesn't know but that the person tried to kill him and so he shot him. That's what he told me."

Daniel Ortiz
"Did he explain what would have caused the whole incident to take place?"

Sheree Salgado - Cousin of the Accused
"What we heard from a corporal; the corporal said that from the beginning of the day these two persons were having some kind of altercation. He was provoked constantly and so the corporal spoke to two of them. She (corporal) said that by the time she reaches home the incident had happened, so I guess he was being provoked by this other person."

"His sister is waiting to see if anybody will come but what we have heard is that he has still not being charged as yet for what he has done. So we are still waiting."

Daniel Ortiz
"You guys do accept that there is a possibility that the police will charge your cousin for murder."

Sheree Salgado - Cousin of the Accused
"Yes he will be charged."

Daniel Ortiz
"There is a possibility that he could be found guilty of murder as compare to self-defense."

Sheree Salgado - Cousin of the Accused
"We need to look at the two side of the story because I wasn't there and who was there need to say what had happened. Probably it could be self-defense because when I spoke to him on the phone he said that he tried to kill me."

Salgado also wished to offer sympathies to the grieving family who lost their love one under such tragic circumstances, even though they may not want to hear a simple "sorry".

Sheree Salgado - Cousin of the Accused
"Our condolences go out to the entire family. You all have lost a love one, we are not here to bash you all to say that your son had did my cousin wrong, so we are also grieving with you all and want to know that we will keep you all in our prayers."

The Ministry of National Security spokesperson says that supervisors were in the area, but it happened so fast, that no one could respond to prevent it.

Raphael Martinez - Public Relations Officer
"Normally it's not very unusual to have volunteer soldiers with rounds. As a matter of fact he was on guard duty as I mention before and normal guard duty entails that one has to be armed to perform his duty effectively."

"Of course he was there and there was some supervision but apparently this guy was actually on duty when that occurred and he was the only person who had a rifle and some rounds at that time as is customary when performing guard duty."

Marion Ali, reporter
"No one in authority was around?"

Raphael Martinez - Public Relations Officer
"We do have people but it happened so quickly that by the time they got there the damage was done. "

He could not say what steps will be taken to prevent a reoccurrence

It is being treated as a murder investigation and the 17 year old is detained pending charges. We made several attempts to speak to the family of the deceased but they flatly denied comment saying that they will wait until after the investigation progresses further.

The law states that any person over 16 can enter the volunteer unit.

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