There were two shooting in the city this morning –and fortunately no one was seriously hurt. But in both cases it could have been much worse, frighteningly so. 7NEWS has the story of both violent assaults and we begin at the KHMH. I was there as a shooting victim was brought in – and got a revealing interview from a man accused of many crimes – and tired of the life.
Ursula Skeete, Sister of Shooting Victim
“I just hope they don’t interfere with my family or interfere with my little brother because we are going through a lot right now. I don’t know why these people just don’t leave us alone, leave my brothers alone.”
Ursula Skeete has good reason to be concerned. This morning someone tried to kill her younger brother Ashley Zuniga. This is the blood trail left behind by the victim as he was rushed into KHMH’s Accident and Emergency Ward. Zuniga was lucky, the bullet only struck his right ankle but while he lived this time to tell his story he knows that one day his luck may just run out.
Ashley Zuniga, Shooting Victim
“One day I am in the street and I know someone is after me and I am just trying to be strong and face it because people are sending threats and right now threats are serious with what’s happening in Belize. So what happened is that the young man met me this morning and he just decided to bust open shots.”
One of the reasons why Zuniga has become a target is because he was charged for an attempted murder. But he was freed after spending some time in jail because the charges were dropped. Since then and even after Zuniga and his family’s cry of innocence, he continues to be threatened.
Jacqueline Godwin,
And you never tried to kill anyone?
Ashley Zuniga,
“I didn’t try to kill nobody. All charges were dropped against me, which I didn’t know about. So who is to blame? I don’t know who to blame, maybe the police who charged me because of the investigation they didn’t do correct and so my life is on the line now. So I have to face it and I am trying to be a better person in life.”
Mark Zuniga, Brother of Shooting Victim
“They say Ashley shot someone the other day and Ashley went to jail innocently. The person who got shot says Ashley didn’t shot him so Ashley ended up coming out and now he is free and now they shot him and I don’t know what to say.”
According to Zuniga when he got shot he was on his way to the Crimes Investigations Branch to clear his name in yet another crime. But he never got there, and now. Zuniga says all he wants is to be left alone.
Ashley Zuniga,
“So they say it is some chain business now, so I don’t know if the police want to hold me for that and charge me for that because it is a chain business I came out of my house this morning for, which they say I robbed and I am not into robbing anybody. Nobody can go to the station and say I robbed them, I am not into rob. I work hard for the little money I have. I try relax and continue my life I am living. I am not harming anybody, people are harming me. I am trying to defend my life now. I am just into relaxing and making some money.”
The family which already lost one brother Michael Skeete to the gun violence are now determined to protect and save the life of another.
Ursula Skeete,
“I mean I have 11 brothers, one of them had gotten shot four years
ago. No justice came out of that. If this other one gets killed, it is going to be something totally different. All I am appealing is that I want them to leave my little brothers alone. I am the oldest one, I am the only sister they have, and the other brothers are complaining to me that guys are threatening them because of Ashley. They have absolutely nothing to do with Ashley. I know Ashley is not an innocent child but I just want them to leave my family alone.”
Claudine Ramirez, Family Friend
“I am appealing to the government, the people in the Police Department, to try and bring a stop to it. I know it is a very difficult task but as a new government I would wish for them to bring very severe penalties to these people that are just killing people or doing shootings randomly. Now we are not feeling free to go out, to do anything. We are like captives in our house. So we would like to appeal to the authorities to do something and do something very serious or drastic, even if they have to implement capital punishment.”
But Zuniga will not be going anywhere anytime soon. The bullet believed to be a nine millimeter remains lodged in the bone and he has been admitted to ward for further treatment.
Claudine Ramirez,
“These teenagers seem to not respect the law and they say okay I will kill you and you we are going to spend a time in jail and come right back out and if you or your family is around, we are going to get them or deal with them after that.”
Ursula Skeete,
“If they do anything wrong to them, come to me, my brother, my mom - we will give them satisfaction so that is all I am asking them – to leave my brother alone.”
Police have no one detained for the shooting.
