Last night, we told you about the 5 men who died from gun violence over the Pre-Easter weekend, well tonight, our headline story is once again about another shooting death. This one happened this afternoon in the Junesville area of the city.
Ernest Thurton was doing his job when a gunman attacked and shot him in the back. Why would the assailant attack a 41 year-old man? That's what we tried to find out when our News team arrived on the scene a short while after. Monica Bodden reports:
41 year old Ernest "Dangalang" Thurton - a well-known Belizean Cyclist - laid dead faced down in this yard behind his aunt's house in the Junesville area. It happened just after 4 this afternoon - some residents' say they heard the single fatal shot rang out.
Turton who has been a messenger for San Cas for over 20 years was on the job and had just left the Income Tax Department.
Hon. Santino Castillo - Thurton's Employer
"Ernest Thurton better known as "Dangalang" started working with me about 20 years ago at Santino's, was a rider on team Santino's and then transfer to San Cas when I did and really was not a trouble maker at all."
Monica Bodden
"Now I know that it just happened, but can you confirm to us if he was on the job?"
Hon. Santino Castillo - Thurton's Employer
"Yes he was, he was taking some cheques - first of all he handled no cash. He is a messenger and he took some cheques to the Income Tax Department and I understand he was caretaking his aunt's house, so he pass here either before or afterwards to in fact look at the house. He apparently was lay waited at that time. Seems that he saw the guys, was running away from them, one of them left their slippers because I was back there at the crime scene and seems like it was one shot that caught him in his left side and he fell under a coconut tree dead. It's a sad way to lose a life for a good guy. I mean I just rode a race with him on Sunday and again although I am a member of the government I will say that we really have to address crime in Belize. It's getting closer to all our homes."
Although police have not yet determined the motive of Thurton's murder, many believe it was a case of broad daylight robbery.
Loraine Thurton - Sister of Deceased
"I just came from a funeral and i got home but I heard the ambulance and I said that I hope it's not someone close to me that got shot and as I reach home they call and say that my brother just got shot at my aunt's house in Junesville and I came here and I saw that it was him."
Monica Bodden
"He normally comes here to check on the house?"
Loraine Thurton - Sister of Deceased
"He is here every day, he is the one that take care of the house because my aunt is in the United States at this time, so 3-4 times a day he is always here."
Monica Bodden
"I understand that your brother is a hard worker, he was on the job."
Loraine Thurton - Sister of Deceased
"Yes he was on the job. All he does is ride his race and works for Santino's - that's all."
Reporter
"He is not a trouble maker?"
Loraine Thurton - Sister of Deceased
"No, he doesn't have any problems with anybody."
Monica Bodden
"You think he may have been robbed or targeted?"
Loraine Thurton - Sister of Deceased
"I think, maybe they thinks he has money and they just target him and kill him."
Mike Rudon, reporter Ch 5
"You could tell us a little bit about his family that has been left behind by him."
Loraine Thurton - Sister of Deceased
"I know he has his common-law-wife and his kids and he was about to get married, that's all that I can say."
Thurton leaves behind his common-law-wife and 6 children. His family told us he was making wedding plans for this year.
As you heard in our story, Thurton was a well-known cyclist, and he rode in the group of professionals who called themselves the Weekend Warriors. He was also a rider for Team Santinos.
Email
Print