7 News Belize

Malcolm Wagner Killed Near To His Home
posted (June 30, 2014)
The 2 second Belize City man who died this weekend was 24-year-old Malcolm Wagner. About 12 hours after Samuel Miguel was found dead, Wagner was standing at the corner of Flamboyant and Poinsettia Streets when a vehicle drove up, and a man opened fire on him from inside. 5 bullets were meant for him, but 3 found their mark.

An attempt was made on Wagner's life almost a year ago, but on Saturday, his assailants made sure that he wouldn't escape a second time. 7News went looking for answers today, and Daniel Ortiz reports:

Sgt. Ismael Westby, NCO-CIB, Precinct 2
"Police responded to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where they saw a male person who was identified as Malcolm Wagner, 24 years old of a Flamboyant Street address suffering from gunshots wounds to the lower back; two to the lower back and one to the right side leg. Based on that respond that police did, an initial investigation revealed that Malcolm Wagner was standing at the corner of Poinsettia and Flamboyant Streets sometime around 5:30pm when a vehicle drove by with a male person in there who fired several shots at him."

Daniel Ortiz reporting
Evadney Welch, the lady who acted as "Whisky's" guardian, got the bad news of her grandson's fatal shooting while she herself was at an event to mourn the passing of a close family friend. By the time she responded, he passed away.

Evadney Welch - Grandmother of Deceased
"I was at a re-pass at Zericote Street at a funeral when my son call and my neighbour told me that just got a message that they shot Malcolm. They son and daughter call me and I got the message and I went straight to the hospital and I saw him fighting for his life."

Geovannie Brackett, reporter
"When you left the house here he was watching football?"

Evadney Welch
"Yes he was watching football, he watches it every day and it was Brazil and Chile was playing, so I got dress and I ask him how do I look and he said yes grand, you could pass and then I came through the door and I went."

Flora Flowers - Sister of Deceased
"We went straight to the hospital. The only person who could gave go in was my mother, so all of us waited outside to hear. My mom came outside and told us that they were trying to pump him to bring him back, they shocked his heart and they say that he came back but his heart beat came back weak. From there minutes after my mom came back outside and say that the doctor tried everything to bring him back, but they couldn't and that was when the whole family just breaks down and cry."

Though it was his intention to go the repast that his grandmother was attending, he never did arrive.

The family believes that he lured to his death. They believe that he got a phone call, and he went to wait for some a short distance away from his house.

His grandmother soberly told us, while dealing with the grief of his loss that he was lived a life under constant threats to his safety.

Geovannie Brackett, reporter
"Were you at anytime know that your grandson was at any threat?"

Evadney Welch
"All the time, from the time he subdue a man out here, he held the man for the police and from that time they are after him. Another time they shoot his hand out by the lane and up to now. He says he is not afraid of them, he was born here at #3 Flamboyant Street and he will die at #3 Flamboyant Street - he says that he will not run from anybody."

Sgt. Ismael Westby, NCO-CIB, Precinct 2
"Malcolm Wagner has been known to the police. We have had different incidents involving Malcolm Wagner with some gang related incidents. More or less we have an incident just last year around this same time where he was shot at this same location and as a result a person was charged with respect to that incident and the matter is before the court."

And despite the fact that he had run-ins with the law, and that attempts had been made on his life, he family says that he also had many friends.

Evadney Welch
"He was a people's son - loved by everybody. He is a mannerly little boy because I have him from the day he was born up to now. Sometime I talk to him for his own good and he listens to me. Sometimes he says that I rail-up too much and I tell him that it's for the betterment of him. Sometime he would say grand, sorry about how I rail-up with you, but I listen to him and I respect his premises, but he doesn't give any trouble. He always teased his uncle and his uncle takes it for joke. He doesn't have anybody else to run joke with, so we help him along the way because we know that out there is not right. He has a room at Mayflower and he only sleeps there and it is here where all his clothes are - he lives here, and eats here and he goes to his mother sometimes."

Wagner made it in time to the Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.

Our archives show that Wagner was charged with attempted murder in May of 2011, for the attack on Gilroy Garnett Jr. In that atttept on Garnett's life, he was shot in the face.

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