And while Bradley speaks as Laddie's guardian, and, effectively, his father - there is also his biological family from Pink's Alley in Belize City.
It is one of the City's oldest slums where conflict with the police and deaths by gunfire are, unfortunately, not uncommon.
Well, this terrible fate seems to have somehow followed Laddie all the way from Pink's Alley to Placencia Beach last night where he was gunned down by a cop.
Today, Jules Vasquez spoke to his biological mother and uncle in the Alley - where they want answers from police and from her son's adopted family:
Here in the middle of Pink's Alley is the Gillett home - they are the biological family of 14 year old Laddie Gillett.
Henry "Pulu Musa" Gillett - Laddie's Uncle
"This morning I get a call from the minister and he said pulu they kill you nephew last night."
His nephew Laddie Gillett. Today his mother Linda Gillett sat in a daze, grief-stricken and aghast at the loss of the son she hardly knew
Linda Gillett - Laddie's Biological Mother
"I mih give up ah on adoption to 2 families at states because I was in depression, nobody to look back to, I had other kids, stuff like that. They had him from he about 2 years old and they take care of him and after that I go visit him, I go way to Camalote, catch the bus, visit my son and after he got 4 years old they start to stop me from seeing him. I even gone to the 2 young lady that link up with the 2 people that adopt my son and I gone to them and I cry to them and I ask them please, I need to see my son, I miss him, I love him, no because I was in depression and I give up ah no means I no love him, I'm better now, I heal now, I need to see him. Now! When they kill my son now last night, then she will have the heart to call this same next young lady and tell her come contact me now because my son dead. All the while I the go and try see him, wa be with him, wa hold him, wa come show him his family, he has 1 brother and 7 sisters that he never see in his life, I the try fight hard to make him know his people."
Jules Vasquez
"So now, you will only see your son..."
Linda Gillett
"In a dead box, now I have to see my son, when we are claiming and find out ah the was with, nobody want claim ah. Why did they wait until he is dead now to get in contact with me when I was going around trying hard to get in contact with my son. Why now, they want wait now for when my son dead. I go and I cry to them to please make I get in touch with him and they refuse to make I get in touch my son Jules, for what I don't know, for what reason I don't know. What unno do for me, I can't pay unno back, all I want was to just make my son know me."
Jules Vasquez
"Literally have not seen him since he was 4."
Linda Gillett
"Literally have not seem him since he was 4 years old, no lie Jules. Not even pictures they show me Jules, nothing."
Jules Vasquez
"So, when you see the picture on social media..."
Linda Gillett
"Yes, I know my son, I think about him every day. Yesterday I told my friend, gial I think about pep pep because we call him pep pep Jules and I tell them I think about pep pep because I love my son."
A love that Laddie may have never known - which is why these tears may stream for years:
Henry "Pulu Musa" Gillett
"But I really wah the minister of police look into this, please. Everybody know they call me Pulu Musa, Kareem is my big brother but I really want him look into this and seek justice for my nephew because it really hurt Jules. I no even know my nephew but at the end of the day, that is my sister son, she bring ah on the face of this earth Jules and it rough. This is craziness, this is murder, he shot a minor in his back, a 14 year old lee bwai. What a 14 year old lee bwai could do to any police officer? And his back turned, that is the worst part of it, his back turned, so he harmless to anybody!"
There will be a vigil for Laddie Gillett tonight at 10:00 pm at the Memorial Park in Belize City.
