7 News Belize

Teenager Was Shot At Work, Died This Morning
posted (April 4, 2014)
Last night, we told you about the shooting at the eastern end of Central American Boulevard where 26 year-old Troy Hyde and 18 year-old Anfernee Romero both suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Well, tonight, we report that Anfernee Romero, who was shot in the head, died at around 4:20 this morning, 12 hours after he was shot.

Police say that Hyde and Romero were doing their work at Locksmith Service on Central American Boulevard, where they are both employed, when 2 gunmen rode past and opened fire at both of them.

Death found Romero at his workplace, which is especially tragic for his family since he had worked very hard to become gainfully employed. He graduated last year as part of the 4th intake of the Youth Apprenticeship Program, a Belize City based second-chance program for young adults. Coordinator Diane Finnegan spoke with us this afternoon, and told us that when she had learned that one of her promising past students had been shot, she took it as if Romero had been her own son. Here's how she explained it:

Dianne Finnegan, Coordinator - Youth Apprentice Program
"I got dressed right away and went to the hospital and of course I saw his family there. The impact it has made is - this is not the first and it has created major sadness where this morning as I got the news; his aunt text me to say that he passed. Yesterday was the first meeting for 6th intake and I said I didn't want to meet any more young people. I don't want to open myself for them to come close to me anymore. I don't want to see them because this program is about really a close contact with young people. We truly get the opportunity to top into their souls and see them at a different level - recognized their weaknesses, their highs, their lows and build those lows to a level where it's amazing because they truly look up to you. They look forward to coming by, stopping by, if it's even just to say hi miss, I just came to greet you - that kind of thing and I don't want to do that anymore because it a hurt like a mother's hurt. Anfernee was just I guess an individual who had his own mind, his own thoughts, but he knew what he wanted. He knew the direction that he wanted to take and like any other young person there are journeys through life, obstacles that you encounter along the way and if there is not enough strength for you to get through that sometimes it's a bit of barriers for you to stay focus in what it is that you really want to accomplish in life. Even though he graduated from the program, he didn't stopped there, he went on to do the computer literacy program with RESTORE Belize."

Romero graduated just last week Friday from the RESTORE Belize Literacy Program.

Troy Hyde suffered multiple injuries and continues to receive treatment at the KHMH.

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