A family is grieving two siblings tonight after one was shot yesterday, days after the other was buried on Sunday.
20-year-old Devin Amoa was killed inside his yard on Giles Street around 6:30 last night, while his sister lost her battle to cancer last week.
Courtney Menzies visited the family and found out about their loss:
A beloved 20-year-old, whose dream was to work in the medical field, was callously killed while inside his own yard last night. Devin Amoa, an attendant at Belize Medical Associates, had just returned home from buying medicine for his ailing mother when a gunman kicked open his gate and shot him several times.
His family is left shocked since Amoa was known as an ambitious and motivated person who wanted to be a nurse. His brother, Houston Amoa, said that he had big plans for his life - the life that was cut short far too soon.
Voice of: Houston Amoa, Brother of Deceased
"My bredda dah mih a hardworking man. the man come out of school, the man actually finish 4th form because me and all ah my bredda they - me personally, neva finish and the other two gone dah night school. He dah mih the only one weh push through and finish 4th form, everything, no have to trade school, no nothing. Ih come out ah school, ih work hard, ih end up dih get a job there, so far he seems like he mih wah do big things. Ih mih wah go be a nurse, ih mih wah move out from round ya, he mih got plans."
But Amoa was a lot more than just hardworking, he was popular and well liked - as illustrated by the outpouring of condolences on social media, as his friends grieved alongside his family. His brother told us he will miss Amoa's easy going personality.
Courtney Menzies:
"Your sister also told us he was the life of the party."
Voice of: Houston Amoa, Brother of Deceased
"He was, he dah mih an entertainer, he dah mih wah… ih dah mih one ah they "it bwai" - when ih talk to the gyal and thing, all ah they, you know, all ah they like ih vibes and thing, ih dah wah peaceful youngman but when dah time fi party ih party."
The family speculates that the gunman was lying in wait in the neighbor's unfenced yard for the moment to strike, shot him and then escaped into the night.
The family also does not believe that he was the target, but rather that it was a friend who had just left Amoa's home.
Voice of: Houston Amoa, Brother of Deceased
"I do not have the full details at this moment but they mih suppose to come ya fi kill somebody else but just that, you know, when you can't catch Harry, yuh catch ih shirt."
Now the family is left with not just one loss to grieve, but two, since they buried Amoa's 28-year-old sister, Tatiana Amoa the day before he was killed. She had been battling cancer, and passed away last week Monday. Their brother Houston expressed the emotions he is dealing with, and said that he is trying to keep it together for the sake of his family.
Courtney Menzies:
"Does your family feel any kind of fear, your home was targeted essentially?"
Voice of: Houston Amoa, Brother of Deceased
"Fear? No. Dah no fear. I wouldah say anger and frustration. Angry and Frustrated but at this moment I have to be the one fi think fi everybody and make sure my peoples they safe. At the moment, we just dih try bring everybody together and see how we wah deal with this because my sister just get buried Sunday and now we have to plan another funeral."
Amoa had been working at Belize Medical Associates as a clinic attendant since he graduated high school, and planned to go to nursing school in January. BMA issued a statement in which they said, quote, "He will be remembered as a kind-hearted, sweet, respectable and humble individual who never refused to go the extra mile no matter how far it was." End quote.
