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Monica Bodden reporting
It was through this front door that the gunman stormed into the house of Dorla Williams –ran up this narrow flight of steps – and opened fire on 31 year old Delone Vernon.

It happened just before 9 last night-during the heavy showers. Vernon – was upstairs playing cards with 6 others at the time of his death. Many heard as many as 4 gunshots rang out - one of those shot caught Vernon to the chest and penetrated through his heart – killing him almost on the spot. His sister-in-law 32 year old Sherna Miller was also shot – in her left arm and right leg. She is hospitalized in a stable condition.

Today still fearing for her own safety, Williams, the home owner - gave us an off camera interview and told us she was in bed at the time her daughter and son-in-law was shot.

Voice of Dorla Williams
"I heard 'bam bam bam' so I wondered what it was then I knew someone got shot because I heard the gunshot outside. I didn't know it was in my house - my daughter ran downstairs and called my name and told me that Delone and Sherna got shot. She told me that Delone looked like he was already dying."

But was Delone Vernon the intended target? Many believe he was. In October of 2012, Vernon was shot at the corner of Vernon and Sarstoon streets. The employee of Youth for the Future survived the attack but was left with a colostomy bag – which was removed only 2 months ago.

And while Vernon had left the gang life, one theory about his shooting is that he may have been targeted just because he is from a neighbourhood associated with the P-I-V gang.

One of the men who police believed were his assailants was 20 year-old Ellis Meighan, a resident of Banak Street. Meighan was charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, grievous harm, and use of deadly means of harm.

According to Vernon's neighbours, police had just spoken to him about the upcoming case with Meighan only a day before he was murdered.

Voice of Neighbour
"From Friday we've been getting threats that they are only waiting for 'back-a-town' to have a party then they will come here and shoot. They didn't wait for the party - they still came. I understand the gunman came earlier, did the shooting and left. He came back yesterday while I was at the sea last night and went up to my sister's house and shot my nephew and niece. Delone has a case with Ellis that shot him through Ebony street so he has something to do with Delone's death. How will the gunman come and only kill him and a crowd was upstairs."

Monica Bodden
"So you think he was the intended target?"

Voice of Neighbour
"That's right he was intentionally targeted."

Just before 5am on Sunday morning, that same house was shot up by gunmen. We were told that police never did show up until 12 hours later.

Voice of Dorla Williams
"This could have been avoided. Sunday 5:00 in the morning they came and started shooting here so I had asked if anyone called the police and we called so many times and they didn't respond, they didn't come."

Voice of Neighbour
"I'm really scared and my family is really scared because we don't have any fear in the yard now because they come in your yard and up the stairs. What fear do we have? We don't have any justice. We have a lot of kids in this yard, where else would we go, this is ours. We don't go around bothering other people and that is foolishness that happened yesterday because they went all the way up in the house. Where else will they go? We are fearing for our lives now and we're not getting any justice."

A part of the news of the event is the personality of Delone Vernon. No, he wasn't any famous gangster or street figure, but he was a man trying to change his life – even though he couldn't change his violent surroundings. At the time of his death, Vernon was working at Youth for the Future and in August of last year, sat down for an I Am Belize Profile where he explained where he was from, and where he was at as a man on a mission to reform himself from a childhood surrounded by gangs, which led him ultimately to prison.

Delone Vernon's Profile
"I grew up at the back of WASA where everybody call - most people know the area as PIV from I was like 2 years old. At that time when I was younger that was the whole feel and centre of the gang bang world you would called "Bloods" between PIV and Bakatown. Bakatown was on the side of the civic centre and PIV was behind WASA. Most people from Bakatown would come to hang out at PIV and everybody would meet up at the bridge right where my family resides.

We live around the bridge area where all the gang bangers hang out. It's not like something where you didn't want fit in - it's just something where you grew up around - in front it. You go to school and come back and you meet everything the same way.

From out of the prison, I stepped out of those walls and I said 'this is it now'. From then I started to make a new step in my life. Right now where I am heading in my life is like a new place - a new me. Only, that I used the other little things back in the past to help upgrade me. Right now where I am heading is that I expect to be this person where in 5 years' time I will have my own counseling group and I will make a change in Belize."

Delone Vernon, dead at 31 - he was the father of two children.