There was another broad daylight killing in Belize City today - and the victim was a working man - who was on the job. According to his family, he was randomly targeted by a gunman hunting down another man. If they are right, the randomness of the crime almost defies comprehension.
7news was on the scene today and Monica Bodden spoke with the family of the deceased.
Monica Bodden Reporting
The body of another young black man lay lifeless in the city streets once again today. The broad daylight murder happened just before 11:30 this morning on Caesar Ridge Road.
27 year old Ardon Belgrave - a maintenance worker for the Belize City Council was in the area working - when he was cold bloodedly gunned down in front of his co-workers.
Wallace Belgrave - Father of Deceased
"His cousin and I were sitting down there. He stopped in the shop and said that Belgrave was dead, but when he said it; I didn't even think about it. So I told my cousin, the guy is talking to you, so again he said, 'Belgrave is dead, then he called me one side and said that Belgrave died. I kept asking him to explain it because it was surprising to me."
Belgrave was shot to the head - According to those on the scene, he was not the intended target - witnesses say that the gunman was chasing his target - but when the target got away, he turned around and opened fire on Belgrave.
Wallace Belgrave
"He was working at his job-site, and they finished working, so they were waiting on the truck. According to his friend, a guy that shares his tea - his breakfast, he said that they were waiting on the machine to take them from the worksite, when they saw the young man from - with his collage uniform - he came up to pass them and then when he looked he saw another one coming. The little boys seem to have a dispute - must have had a dispute, so when he saw the other one coming, he ran. And when he ran, the little one who came up, started to fire shots and a shot caught my son. And he personally told me that when the boy shot at the other little boy, he couldn't get him so he stopped at my son, and finished him off on the ground."
Monica Bodden
"So you think that your son was not the intended target?"
Wallace Belgrave
"No, he was not the intended target. I don't think he was the intended target. The little young boy was shooting after the little collage boy. He couldn't catch him so he just wanted to take some blood."
Many described Belgrave as a hard working young man. He was the father of a 3 year old child. And like many other grieving families that have lost all faith in the justice system, they too are leaving justice in the hands of God.
Wallace Belgrave
"Just this morning he told me that he was going to get some - finish some loan money and was going to get some money, to buy some of these boxers that I use - that I wear. I just made tea for him; I boiled egg for him and this morning. Yesterday morning, he made tea for me and him. So he was going to get some money to have fun for Easter, I said, 'Son; this is not fun time; you have to think more positive now because you have to stop having fun, these are dangerous times.' The black people don't understand that we are who we are, to put it in - the black corrupt each other and the black doesn't understand why."
Monica Bodden
"Do you think you're going to get justice?"
Wallace Belgrave
"Well, I will get it from the Lord; I'll definitely get it from the Lord."
27 year old Ardon Belgrave was the father of one. He had been working at the City Council since last year.
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