On Sunday morning instead of celebrating Mother's Day, one Belize City mother was mourning the loss of not one but two of her sons after what can only be described as a ruthless execution in the heart of Belize City. Before dawn on Sunday brothers Kevin and Phillip were gunned down in front of their Albert Street West home after the Tanya Stephens concert. The event was preceded by an argument over one man's baby's mother, who is now another man's girlfriend. In the scuffle over that, another man's chain and pendant were lost. Shortly after all that unfolded, and because of it, a hail of gunfire was let off on Albert Street West. We today found out how bruised egos and a missing pendant led to a double murder.
Keith Swift Reporting,
On Sunday morning the Brannon brothers: Phillip, Kevin, and Basil along with Kevin's wife arrived in front of their Albert Street home in this Lincoln Continental. No sooner had they arrived than they came under fire. Kevin's wife Ganisha was
the only one to escape unhurt.
Area Resident,
"I just heard like a big bang, it sounded like a car crashing it to the other one, and then I heard bullet started to fly so I got out of my bed and I jumped on the ground and we had a second of pause, looked like they reloaded again, and bullets again."
Erwin X, Witness
"The brother, many many. I cannot count. This is the first time in this nation that I have heard so many shots released in any of the streets in this nation."
Erwin X lives two houses away from the Brannon residence. Early Sunday morning - he was awaken by a loud crash followed by the sound of rapid gunfire.
Erwin X,
"Around 3:45 am, about 15 minutes to four, I heard a bang and I looked out from where I live, up the street, and I saw a vehicle, and SUV, it had bumped into another vehicle, a car, and then I heard gunshots and when I looked close I saw an individual shooting and I noticed that there was another shooter as well and it was a fuselage of bullet. They surrounded the car and emptied the gun into the vehicle and they came back behind the vehicle and began to shoot again.
I did not get to see a face, I cannot describe the individuals but I saw the incident transpired. When I came on the scene I found that the driver was already dead and another brother in the vehicle was almost out of breath and I saw him take his last breath."
Kevin Brannon who was the driver received fatal wounds to his left temple and lower abdomen. His younger brother Phillip received a single but fatal shot to the back of his head. Mervin Humes was also in the vehicle and he received multiple gunshot injuries. He is stable while 34-year-old Basil who exited the vehicle earlier to get a gun was shot in his left arm but survived.
Keith Swift,
How many bullets did you hear?
Basil Brannon, Shooting Victim
"Man I've never been to Vietnam but it was like that. That's how much bullets it was."
Basil says it began at the City Center during the concert. A domestic dispute
between Phillip and his girlfriend got physical and escalated when a chain from around Phillip's neck was broken. It is not exactly what happened inside the City Center but we do know that the confrontation down here is what led to the execution style murder of the Brannon brothers.
Basil Brannon,
"We went downstairs and my friend, who got shot also, told him that this is the guy who knew about the medal. Phillip approached him and then the guy told him something and Phillip asked for his medal. I think the guy had some smart remark and Phillip punched him. I told Phillip no, it is just a medal, we don't need this. Going on Aguilar told Phillip, 'I will kill you.'"
Keith Swift,
Who told Phillip that?
Basil Brannon,
"Aguilar."
Keith Swift,
Ricky Aguilar?
Basil Brannon,
"If that is his first name."
Keith Swift,
You heard him say this?
Basil Brannon,
"Yes. The reason why I know that for a fact is because I approached him afterwards to aggress him and I told him I knew him and not to threaten my brother."
Those threats became real when the brothers were traveling home in the Lincoln Continental and realized they were being followed.
Basil Brannon,
"We went into the car, drove off as we usually do, up the Boulevard, down Penn Road, and over the Bridge. When we were over the bridge my brother said, he was the one driving, that a vehicle was following us. I told him. It was a Geo Tracker. I told him let's go on Cemetery Lane. When we turned onto Cemetery Lane, the Tracker stopped at the lane we should've gone down to reach home. When that happened I told Kevin to give me his key for the house. I got the key. The Tracker decided to come and I jumped the fence for the graveyard and started to run home to my mother's house. By the time I reached there and opened the door to grab our licensed gun and came out, the only thing I heard was his wife saying, 'please don't shoot me.' By the time she said that, the firing started. I saw the gun and when I was raising to shoot, I got shot."
From his hospital bed today Basil maintained that he was there when his brother was threatened to death. He adds that he already told police this. But the only name police was willing to call today was that of well-known concert promoter James Busch - DJ Busch.
ASP Chester Williams,
"At this point in time because of the fact that the matter is still under investigation I will not say anything that in believe will jeopardize
Keith Swift,
Is DJ Busch detained?
ASP Chester Williams,
"He is detained and he has been charged for possession of controlled drugs."
Keith Swift,
Is a Mr. Bennett detained?
ASP Chester Williams,
"Not at this point time."
Keith Swift,
Are you looking for him?
ASP Chester Williams,
"As I mentioned before I won't disclose who we are looking for because I don't want to jeopardize our investigations."
Jacqueline Woods, NEWS 5
"Why was DJ Bush charged with controlled drugs?"
ASP Chester Williams,
"His house was searched and drugs was found."
Keith Swift,
How much drugs was found?
ASP Chester Williams,
"6.1 grams of cannabis."
Jacqueline Woods,
"So he has not been detained for the shooting? Was it because of the search conducted on his house?"
ASP Chester Williams,
"He is also detained pending investigations into the Brennan incident."
Keith Swift,
What do you believe his role to be in the incident?
ASP Chester Williams,
"I will not go into details."
That indecision by police is what bothers this 34 year old. He wants and is demanding equal justice.
Basil Brennan,
"The sad thing about it is that if it had happened the other way around and there were four black guys on the south side there would have already arrested us and now it is so-called upstanding people and I want to see what they are going to say now because I know for a fact they are the ones that did it. We have no enemies, we don't fool with anyone. So I want to hear what will come out of this now."
ASP Chester Williams,
"The law is not prejudice towards anybody. If you are guilty of having committed a crime it is the police's responsibility to bring you to justice and it doesn't matter who they are. If it is them who committed the crime, they will be dealt with. As far as I am concerned, they are not high profile."
And while justice is one thing - those in this tight knit community say life on Albert Street West will never be the same again.
Area Resident,
"The system has failed us out here. It happens so often and that is someone's child and nothing is being done. They have to do something. Amend those laws or something because the laws that are here they aren't working. Last night I had nice sea breeze by my area and I was afraid. I had to use my fan last night because I was afraid to open my window."
Erwin X,
"This type of violence in the streets of Belize has to stop. Erwin X is not in fear of my life to speak out, because we are all responsible and really and truly if we as a people don't get up and assist then they'll be no justice and no change."
When we checked this evening DJ Busch was still detained. Police Press Officer G. Michael Reid says there are seeking other suspects but again he refused to disclose any names. Police say they recovered 19 expended shells from the crime scene and another four shells from the victims.
