7 News Belize

Another Killing In Ladyville, This One at A Wake
posted (May 18, 2015)
At the top of the segment we told you that Cayo saw those 3 murders, the Belize district also witnessed violence in the early morning hours of Sunday in Ladyville. Almost unthinkably - a murder happened at a wake - a wake for a man who had just been murdered! 30 Year-old Kenroy Arnold was socializing with the family and friends Sylvin "Cruz" Encalada, the watchman who was killed at his worksite on Friday morning.

Our News team has been following the story and Daniel Ortiz reports:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
30 year-old Kenroy Arnold, aka, "Bouncer" was killed here at this house on Perez Road sometime before 1:00 a.m. on Sunday. He was socializing with his friend when gunmen waylaid him by hiding in some bushes behind the house. They seized the right moment to open fire.

Raphael Martinez - Police Press Officer
"Police went to residence in Perez Road in Ladyville, where they saw 29 year old Kenroy Arnold suffering from multiple gunshots wounds to the body. Initial investigations reveal that Kenroy was at that residence along a few members of that residence, when somebody or reportedly 3 men came from behind the building and fired several shots at him causing his fatal injuries."

There were other people the house at the time of the shooting, and one eyewitness recounted those dangerous moments when the shooters attacked. She asked to appear off camera, while she described how one of the killers intended to silence her for witnessing the crime.

Voice of: Eyewitness - Also Targeted By Gunman
"There was 3 shots at the back of my father room and we just saw Kenroy running in the front - from the back coming to the front. We went to the back of the apartment, like going towards the backyard and 3 seconds after I saw him running pass me again to get to go to the front to run on the street to protect himself, but instead of running on the street, he went directly into my room and the gunman was already by there by the pipe, waiting to see which direction he was running and by the pipe the gunman was standing and he (Kenroy) was heading towards my door and that when another shot went off. I don't know if the shot hit Kenroy. He pulled my door and left me outside with the gunman and I was at the corner of my house towards the fence. All I could think about was to run to my neighbors' house and I told the gunman to please don't shoot, don't kill me. Before I could say that, my mind just told me to run."

She managed to escape unharmed, but the gunman didn't just allow her to retreat, he fired 3 shots at him, and police found a 4 rounds on the ground which didn't fire. She believes that this unfired bullet may have been her saving grace - the one which would have injured her, but fortunately, it didn't fire from the assailant's gun.

Kenroy Arnold, who is believed to have been the intended target, did not survive. He lay injured on a bed inside the house, and multiple sources told us today that the responding officers' actions caused Arnold to receive life-saving medical treatment late. That's something that his grieving family complained about to us today:

Kazia Arnold - Sister of Deceased
"The police fully neglected him."

Arnold was shot two months ago on March 12. His family strongly believes that his death on Sunday morning was connected to that incident, that his assailant came back to finish the job. He received death threats which he didn't report to police.

Kazia Arnold - Sister of Deceased
"The threats came from the guy that shot him. My little brother called us and told us to warn him about the threats, but because he knows that he is a nice humble guy, he didn't took it serious. On Friday, I met Police officer Sutherland and he asked me to bring in my brother's medical's form. If my brother wanted to proceed with the case, he wasn't going to keep the medical form. He would give it to the police from a long time, but the guys thought that my brother was going back to court. But he was not."

So, Arnold intended to drop the case against the men who police charged for shooting him in May. He never did get the chance because 3 unknown men took his life, and they did it in the presence of a pregnant woman who is now in fear of her life.

Voice of: Eyewitness - Also Targeted By Gunman
"I am mourning my own dad's death and to be mourning again. It's very hard on me. I am expecting another in 6-7 months and it's hard."

As you heard in our story, the family and other persons have accused the responding officers from Ladyville police of taking too long to take him to the hospital after he was shot. Well, we contacted Inspector Fredrick Gordon, the Rural Executive Officer who commands Ladyville Police. He told us that that the officers who responded shortly after the shooting, called him for instructions, and he commanded that Arnold be rushed to the KHMH as soon as possible. He told us that he does not know why the persons in the public have made this accusation because it is untrue.

Kenroy Arnold is known to police, and he has been charged and convicted of crimes in the past. His younger brother, Kareem Arnold, is currently on remand at the Belize Central Prison for a stabbing, while his older brother, Steve Arnold, is on remand for a robbery.

Kenroy Arnold is also the father of 2 children.

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