Tonight, 2 families from Sand Hill Village in the Rural Belize District are in the throes of grief. That's after their loved ones died in a double murder last night. The victims have been identified as 31-year-old Raymond Dominguez, and 21-year-old Justin Milligan, a well-known and beloved football referee.
Around 7:30, both men were at Dominguez's home playing video games when 2 assailants launched a massive attack with wanton use of firepower.
Our news team has been closely following the story for most of today, and Daniel Ortiz has this report:
This morning, Police and Scenes Of Crime personnel thoroughly searched the Maskall Road home where 36-year-old Raymond Dominguez and 21-year-old Justin Milligan were shot and killed.
They were looking for clues that would lead to the gunmen who barged into the lower flat of this 2-story house and fired a barrage of gunshots which fatally injured both men.
Our information is that during their search last night AND this morning, the authorities found 33 expended shells on the scene:
We are informed that Dominguez and Milligan were part of a group of 5 companions, who were socializing and playing video games together.
Male friends from this neighborhood would sometimes come together for a little gaming session, and shortly before the shooting started, 3 of the companions left to go home for the night, and so only Dominguez and Milligan were inside the house when the assailants arrived.
Reports are that there was a major security concern. The entire group was focused on their evening enjoyment, and the door was reportedly left open. That's how the shooters walked right in:
Mark Milligan - Justin's Brother
"Obviously the doors were wide open. The [expended] shells were inside of the house, and outside. It's obvious that the persons, individuals who did it were at the door, or probably inside of the house. And so, everybody who was there was basically focused on the video games, and quite honestly, we all know that those things really attracts your attention. You lose focus on everything else."
For the Milligan family, the heartache caused by Justin's violent and untimely death is immense.
Mark Milligan - Justin's Brother
"My family lost a son. We lost a brother. We lost a young man who, as far as everybody knows in this community, he wasn't that type of person. Honestly, you sit down at night, and you watch the news many times, and you hear people say that. When you live your life a certain way, and your family raised you to live a certain way, for some strange reason, it feels like this type of tragedy will not hit home, but it did, and the only thing we could do now is ask God for strength."
Mark Milligan distinctly remembers that his younger brother, Justin, followed closely in his footsteps.
Mark Milligan
"He went through university. He graduated from the UB with his Associate's [degree]. He attempted to join the police, but he didn't make it all the way to the end. He loved football; always spoke about playing football. Refereeing, myelf and him, in my eyes, he was my best assistant referee."
"I'm sure it touched a lot of people because he's very known. He's a very jovial young man. He's considered the life of the party. He's ready to dance, sing - He made his own songs."
A week and a half ago, on Christmas Eve, our news team encountered that jovial young man on Albert Street doing some last-minute shopping.
Cherisse Halsall
"How is Christmas going?"
Justin Milligan
"It's going very well right now. Very good - It's kinda a little white, but's kinda a little blue as well. It's okay. I am enjoying it."
Cherisse Halsall
"What does that mean, kinda white?"
Justin Milligan
"(Laughs) It's kinda white, meaning you have a little money, but at the same time too, you know how Krofi go. Money finishes fast."
Cherisse Halsall
"What are the Christmas traditions in your house?"
Justin Milligan
"Christmas Traditions? Well, you know, we have to drink. The drinks have to be there. You have to have that cake. Don't forget my ham, because I need that salt. But apart from that, we just enjoy and spend time with family. Family time is important."
His loved ones had no idea that this would be the last Christmas holiday that they would get to share with him. All preliminary details about last night's shooting suggest that he wasn't the intended target and that he was simply at the wrong place when the storm of bullets came raining down.
Mark Milligan
"At this time, I don't want to make any speculations, because another family is dealing with the same type of loss we are dealing with and in all honesty, this is not the time to smear, or who was the intended target. The fact remains that both of us lost family members and it really hurts, because it equally hurts for them as it hurts for me and we are hoping everyone can get through this time."
As you heard, the killers let off a massive shower of gunshots, and those at the crime scene tell us that Dominguez's body sustained so much damage from that hail of bullets, that his family may have to hold a closed-casket burial for him.
Turning back to Justin Milligan, the other murder victim, he was both a footballer and a referee. His brother tells us that he was in the process of returning to his love of the sport as a referee, after taking a short hiatus.
The Belize Football Referees Association, the Belize District Football Association, and the Central Secondary Sports Association all join the FFB and the wider football fraternity in mourning his death. He officiated many games for the CSSSA, the BDFA, the FFB youth competitions.
