Tonight, Belizean society is scrambling to comprehend how we've come to this: a 15 year old Belize City student - out on an errand to buy his mom some bread at the corner shop - was targeted and shot multiple times on Saturday. He died this morning - and, in between, almost everyone with a cell phone and WhatsApp saw the vicious, blood thirsty attack that was unleashed on an innocent minor.
15-year-old Dwayne Gabourel was, his mother says, "a humble giant". Despite standing over 6 feet tall, he was a peace-loving teenager who could always count on his mother to fight his battles. But Saturday, young Dwayne faced an enemy that no one could help him fight - a bullet to the head.
His mother, Rhondine Almendarez, has been vocal since the incident happened, telling the world about her gentle son who studied hard and loved basketball. Courtney Menzies spoke to her today and has this story.
Rhondine Almendarez, Mother of Deceased
"He know his mommy and he know his mommy will do anything to make it better."
Those were the tearful words of a mother praying that her 15-year-old son would survive after he was shot multiple times on Saturday. The young teen held on until this morning, when he finally succumbed. And now, Dwayne Gabourel's mother is left with nothing but what-ifs:
Rhondine Almendarez, Mother of Deceased
"He ran upstairs and, mommy he said it's getting late let me go buy bread, he said, do you want bread or will you knead? I said madas, I Knead all week. I wish I would have said I would Knead, I wish I would have said I would knead. I said baby, go and buy the bread and he was humble, and his humbleness and obedience cost him his life."
And today, Rhonedine Almendarez recounted the moment she heard the gunshots:
Rhondine Almendarez, Mother of Deceased
"He grab the $5 and he run because he like run and he gone to shop, I usually stand up on the verandah and wait. I hear the shot, bang bang bang, that's the sound that rang out in my head. I grabbed his sisters and I said lie down low. When I hear the young lady weh work with me because she live right on the lane, she run in the yard with the two pack bread, she said Rhondine your son had on a red shirt? I said yes. She said let's go pick up your baby out of the shop. And when I reach halfway, I collapse, I don't know what happened to me, I collapse, but I find my fighting spirit and I dragged my baby helpless body."
"One spell no breathing and I yelled at him, Po! Breathe for me! He did [deep breath] and the police man said yes mammy, don't stop. And I didn't stop."
It was a mother's worse nightmare come through, and young Dwayne's greatest fear made real.
Rhondine Almendarez, Mother of Deceased
"He's a third form student at SJC, very smart, very smart, very outgoing, a peacemaker. He was a peacemaker, I used to fear that one day he part a fight and they hurt him, that was my fear. But his fear is what killed him. When I send him to the store, he always tell me, mommy, I'm afraid they shoot me."
And Gabourel had big dreams, starting with graduating high school. But his main aspiration was to play on an international basketball court, and at almost 6'2", he was well on his way. Now all that's left of those dreams is his brand new tennis shoe his mother said he was already growing out of.
Rhondine Almendarez, Mother of Deceased
"My son loved school, he wanted to be a basketball player, his plan was to apply for UCLA and play on Golden State."
"The last thing we spoke about was graduation, when he graduate, he said I will have al my thing around me, all the things he will get and when they call out his name, Dwayne Darwin Gabourel, and they hand his certificate, he say he wah yell ma! And I'll be in the crowd yelling, yes, son!"
"I will stand up and I will finish this fight for him, no violence, just pure love and prayers."
And it is that "kill them with kindness" attitude that Almendarez is encouraging all Belizeans to take on.
Rhondine Almendarez, Mother of Deceased
"I'll be honest with you, it feel good that so much people do care. We Belize not fully gone. We Belize noh fully gone, it noh gone yet, we could do something about this. We as mothers, mothers out there, stand up. Stand up. Let my son be the last death. Let my son be the last 15 year old blood that cry out on this Earth. Let us cut them down. Those gang boys, they don't run the world, they don't even run Belize. Belize right now, you're showing that you fear them. Why fear when we could destroy them with peace."
And yesterday, she also had some words for the man who took her son's life.
Rhondine Almendarez, Mother of Deceased
"Mr. Gunman, straightup, congratulation, maybe nobody congratulates you in your life, But congratulations for you today. You hurt my son and to your mother, congratulations for raising a certified murderer. You accomplish something in life. Guess what you accomplish, your degree in murder. Congratulations. You done good."
Dwayne Gabourel, Deceased
"My Belizean people, let's work together for a better Belize and stay safe."
Both Dwayne and Kassman Gill, another 15-year-old who was shot this year, were third formers at SJC. Kassman is still hospitalized.
