San Antonio is a village just outside of Corozal town – but last night – one man was killed in a Belize City style shooting. It’s a familiar story: two young men hanging out when two others on bicycle pull up and open fire. But after these shooters shot their target – they went and hunted down another teenager who may have been a witness. It’s the kind of thing that rarely happens in Corozal – and that’s what has the victim’s family uncomprehending and grief-stricken. Our colleagues from Channel 10 in Orange Walk found out more.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
The impressions in the community center building show where the spray of pellets from a sawed off shotgun made their mark at 10:30 last night. A crowd gathered today to look at it because one of their own, 18 year old Stanley Matura was grazed to the forehead at that spot. But he didn’t die.
According to Stanley Matura’s father who today stood at the scene where his son got shot, Stanley told him that after the shooting, his cousin, 18-year-old Erlin Matura confronted the gunmen.
Father of Stanley Matura,
“My son said that after they shot him, the guys walked up and they met Erlin and Erlin asked them what happened to unu pussy bwoy and they hauled upon him.”
That happened across the way from the community center. Badly injured Erlin then crawled across to this home – just a ways off from his family home.
Friend of Murder Victim,
“This young who is named Erlin Matura had just come off from work. He ended up getting shot too but we didn’t know he got shot. We didn’t know what went on with him until they said he was on the road and then we started to look for him and we discovered the body and we saw three shots in the side of his chest and some shots on his hands.”
He was dead – and it happened so close to home. Today as his mother went through pictures and remembered a son who wanted to be an entertainer, she still could not comprehend it.
Alma Gilharry, Mother of Murder Victim
“My son is young, he is just 18 years old. He just started to live his life. I don’t know why they killed him.”
And while his mother wants to know why, his sister wants to know what next.
Sister of Murder Victim.
“I just would want to know how they feel right now, how they feel to know they took somebody’s life just like that for no reason. I just want them to pay for what they did. I want justice for my little brother because his life can’t go just like that, it can’t and who did it has to pay.”
But those he left behind are already paying, in grief.
Friend of Deceased,
“And like I said it hurts, it hurts me so much to know that my little home boy, that usually is with me is not here with me today and I feel so bad about it right and I am telling you man, I would really like something to be done about it.”
Because the alleged shooters are from the village, eyewitnesses have told police who pulled the trigger and one person ahs been detained pending charges.
