And while that 7 year old’s death was truly an accident, the killing of 16 year old Shariff Smith last night, was not mistake, it was a calculated and cruelly executed killing of a teenager – and one who seemed destined to live. We say that because he was one of the 11 persons injured in the May 2008 grenade attack on Mayflower Street. He was hit with over 50 shards of shrapnel but survived. And while he proved grenade proof, this child of Ghost Town was not bullet proof. We tried to find out why he was gunned down last night.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This is 16 year old Shariff Smith. He survived last year’s grenade blast but he couldn’t survive 7 gunshot wounds last night. The body of Shariff Shariffe was found in the bushes behind me after a search from early morning to dawn. And while that’s where he died, Shariff had been chased, pursued through a network of streets here in the Jane Usher Boulevard area by a gunman.
Marsha Smith, Mother of Murder Victim
“I was home like last night about after ten when the police came and hailed me out of my house and told me if I knew where my son is. I said I didn’t know and they said Shariff supposed to have gotten shot and they were looking for him and so if he came home, for me to call them. So I told them no problem
and I wasn’t taking it as nothing.
After one my sister, my nieces, my whole family came out on bicycles and they said to get up, let’s go – it is your son – let us go and find him because the police didn’t find him. So I said okay and me and my daughters, everyone was on bike, we didn’t have transport and so we walked.”
Natasha Miguel, Cousin
“We did a big search this morning because we were in the swamp. I told them that if we didn’t go in the swamp, in the bush and look for him we will never find him. They said his friends came for him, took him behind Jane Usher Boulevard to collect a money from his uncle.”
And that’s when Shariff was shot – riddled with bullets really -as many as 8 times. Evidence is that he may have run for his life-through this alley. These dried blood spots -and even this live 9 milimeter round - lead to this small hut in the bushes where he was shouting for help. It is a short distance from the swamp where the 16 year old eventually collapsed and died. His father is legendary deejay – Presi-D.
Dion Gabourel, Father of Deceased
“I am still shocked, I don’t know what to say Keith. They kill the youth like a dog and throw him in the gulley. I remember the youth as a
struggling Belizean youth who was trying to make it and his life got cut short. He is 17 years old, what could he possibly do somebody to riddle the youth with that amount of gunshots. What happened to the old time days when you can complain to daddy and mommy and auntie and granny and they do justice. Go to the police and make a report. I don’t believe he is that evil to do something that bad to get that amount of gunshots."
Theories vary on why Sharriff was in the Jane Usher Boulevard area last night – but for Shariff’s family – the story told by the friend he was with when he was shot – just doesn’t add up.
Keith Swift,
Have you spoken to the this other young man to find out what went on?
Marsha Smith,
“Well I haven’t seen him. I know the little guy but I haven’t seen him to talk to none at all, honestly and I know he and my sons are friends. I don’t know what went on there but from primary school days they were friends. He used to come to my house right behind here and I don’t know what went on there because sometimes they say in life it takes a friend to f… a friend.”
Natasha Miguel,
“I say that obvious because the boy he was with, one of my cousin was with him and they shot one of my cousins in the hand. But like what my auntie said, we can’t point fingers same way but like what I said, God is with us you understand.”
Marsha Smith,
“I will be real. I won’t say what type of child my son was. As far as I know my son was a child who was mischievous just everybody else. Mischievous and did what he had to do.”
But CYDP boss Edward Broaster says Shariff was turning the page. He had just returned from a mediation retreat in Punta Gorda.
Edward Broaster, CYDP
“Well it is a sad day whenever you hear the news that another young person died. We had engaged Shariff in many meaningful ways. As a matter of fact just last week was on a outing with us in the Punta Gorda area along with other young persons where we took them on a mediation, conflict program and we’ve tried our best with Shariff and I believe that the environment and the conditions that our juveniles and our young people live in, is not a conducive one to reinforce the type of changes and attitudes that we’re trying to instil into these young persons.”
And now his father hopes that the lessons of this 16 year old’s tragic, violent and very short life will make some difference
Dion Gabourel,
“We want to appeal to everybody to just hold down the violence and don’t deal with retaliation. Make us try put it in the officers hands and make them deal with it, the investigation, because we don’t know what happened. Even up to now I don’t listen to gossip and yerri so. I want to put my trust in God and wait. I will faith that the system will work.”
Although he may have been a troubled youth from a troubled area – he had never been to jail. His family claims that Shariff was kicked out of high school after the grenade attack. He was supposed to re-enroll in September with the assistance of the CYDP.
