Tonight our first newscast of 2013, begins much like our last newscast of 2012: with a story about murder. Monday's was a domestic killing; tonight's homicide is believed to be gang related - but not in the classic sense.
The victim was a 45 year old who had no gang connection. He is believed to have been killed by a gang-affiliated person - as an act of retaliation against the state, the law... because of a mass lockdown on New Year's Eve.
It's a very crazy motive, but the real story is the loss of a productive life - a working man who was killed for standing on the corner of the block where he grew up and spent most of his adult life.
It happened at 9:47 last night - and I found out more today:
Monica Bodden Reporting
It was here at the corner of Dean Street and West Canal - where 45 year old Orlando Williams was violently murdered around 9:47 last night.
Williams - who lives right across the street from where he was murdered - was shot 7 times to multiple parts of his body.
He died on the spot. His brother, who also lives in the area and was just talking to Syvestre only minutes before the incident, and is seen here crying over his brother's motionless body:
Dennis Williams - Brother of Deceased
"I'm just shocked. It's hurtful because I was lying down fast asleep when my wife came and woke me. She told me what happened, and I ran outside by over there. I saw him on the ground."
Monica Bodden
"You guys only live yards away from each other, the incident happened right around the neighborhood. Did you hear when the shots rang out?"
Dennis Williams
"I didn't hear anything because I am already used to hearing the lots of dynamite and other things that were being played with around there. I didn't hear anything because I was asleep."
Williams was at the corner of Dean Street and West Canal having a conversation with a friend when a man described as light complexion, slim built and wearing a red pants- came walking on the Dean Street from the direction of Plues street and opened fire on him.
Monica Bodden
"Now, when you got out there, can you describe to scene? Was your brother already dead?"
Dennis Williams
"Yes, he was. I just ran out there, and I saw him lying down on the ground, dead already. I think that they said that he was injured by about 7 gunshots. I saw a hole in his jaw, and probably came out through his head."
So far police have no motive for Williams's murder - but from what we have gathered, it may have been one of those cases of a person simply being trigger happy. Just minutes before the murder, another hardworking family man was shot in the head and is now fighting for his life.
Dennis Williams
"According to what I heard, yes, it was just somebody who was trigger-happy, who just went up to him and shot him up. For what reason, we don't know, and I guess we'll never know as to why that happened. This crime situation is really out of control. Innocent people are dying for no reasons at all. There are a lot of crazy men out there, and our system is not doing anything about it. It's just a life when went like that."
Monica Bodden
"Do you think that you're going to get justice?"
Dennis Williams
"With the system which we have, I doubt that. Those guys go right in, and they come right back out. A few months, they come right back out, and they come back to kill, and return back. So, I can't say anything about except that my brother's life just went like that."
From the scene police have retrieved seven 9mm expended shells, one slug and one copper jacket. Orland Williams had lived in that area for 40 years. He is a well-known maintenance man and well respected by many from around the neighborhood.
Williams's two daughters and his wife live in Mexico - where he would make trips regularly to be with them. His next trip was planned for this Saturday, where he was supposed to take his ailing wife to seek medical attention.
Dennis Williams
"It's six of us, and I am the third to him because he is the oldest one, and all of us work together. As of us were born and grew up right here. Actually he is married in mexico, and he has 2 daughters. He does his work right here. All he does is work and work, maky his money, and then go. He was to go back to take his wife to the hospital because his wife is sick. Right now, we can't even get in touch with her. It's really hard. Its a double think or me because I just lost my daughter 5 months ago, and now this. It really hit me hard. I never expected it so quickly, that we went through another thing like this."
Monica Bodden
"You spoke to last when?"
Dennis Williams
"Last night, I talked to him, and I came home and went to sleep, just minutes before the shooting."
Williams has two children - and they both live in Mexico with his wife. He comes to Belize seasonally to work - where he is a much sought after handyman.
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