But how did we get here, with a 14 year old in the morgue, his 19 year old friend left traumatized, and the nation of Belize shocked and angry at the police department? It started with a simple trip to Placencia, something that Laddie did often, because he felt at home on the beach. Now this summer will be remembered as Laddie's last as his family prepares to bury the boy who didn't even get to see his high school graduation.
Courtney Menzies has a timeline of events of that fateful night.
Laddie's Friend:
"Weh paat we deh bro?"
Laddie:
"Placencia."
Laddie's Friend:
"Nothing wah stop we today."
But something did stop them - a bullet shot from the gun of this policeman. But how did a 14-year-old end up dead on a beach in Placencia?
He was spending his summer vacation with his friends, staying at the Chabil Mar Resort, a few hundred feet away from where he was gunned down.
Laddie's Friend:
"Laddie's residence, yuh get the sense? Laddie!"
The trip should have lasted less than a week and came with promises of unforgettable memories with friends. And on that fateful Wednesday night, Laddie and his two friends were eating sweet treats on the beach.
Then as the 10pm curfew neared, Laddie and his friend, 19-year-old Thomas Palacio, decided to head back to their hotel. But they never made it.
Thomas would later describe the chain of events - from sitting peacefully on the beach to staring down the barrel of a gun with his friend - who was more like a brother - lying beside him, dead.
Him and Laddie were being approached by some men in black and, not knowing they were cops, sprinted off. That's when 27-year-old Kareem Martinez pulled out his licensed firearm and fired a single gunshot, which caught Laddie in his back. The officers then reportedly assault Thomas, while acknowledging that the gunshot had killed a teenager who had years of his life ahead of him.
When Thomas tried to speak up, concerned about the younger boy, the officers told him to "shut up."
And after the news broke, outraged poured out on social media. The public was out for blood, and called for a murder charge.
Today, the police announced that he was charged with manslaughter, shocking the nation again.
But all Laddie's family can do now is mourn the teen who many described as a fun-loving, caring, and happy high school student.
And today, Thomas took to social media to share his memories on his friend. On Facebook, he wrote, quote, "Maybe Laddie's purpose was to share his gift with the world, to share his infectious laugh and smile, his humor, his intelligence. To pass through everyone's life and impact us all positively. Laddie is in our hearts, he lives on through our memories, it's our responsibility now to move forward in a way that at some level pays him homage… he loved happiness so be happy you knew him, be happy when you're with family, be happy you're alive."
A vigil will be held for Laddie Gillett at 8PM on Sunday July 18th in front of Placencia Police Station. The community is demanding Intensive training of police officers in Placencia and country wide on peaceful conflict resolution and diversity training including addressing racial and gender-based profiling in police work.
