This past weekend saw too many traumatic deaths: 2 by murder, and three by fatal accident.
We begin with those whose lives were taken away by gun violence - starting in Belize City. A 29-year-old father of one was brutally murdered on Sunday right outside his home as his girlfriend watched helplessly.
Raheem Arnold had just moved in with her late last year, and the family says that his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend didn't appreciate that he was living in the same neighborhood. While the police are still investigating, those closest to Arnold believe that he was killed out of jealousy.
Courtney Menzies spoke with his sister today, who had just walked with him in the peace march last week, not knowing she would lose him only a few days later. Here is that story.
29-year-old Raheem Arnold was one of the men marching for peace in the city on Friday night, but by Sunday, violence would find him in his yard. He had gone to the store and when he came back, he was ambushed, and mercilessly attacked, eventually collapsing in the drain outside his fence.
While Arnold fought back as hard as he could, according to police, it was him against two armed men, and he didn't stand a chance.
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Officer
"Police were called out to a scene at #6 Watermelon Street here in Belize City, where they saw the motionless body of Raheem Arnold 29 years with gunshot injuries. Initial investigations revealed that two male persons, one of East Indian descent and another of Hispanic descent entered Mr Arnold's premises, he ensued in a struggle with both men and managed to get away from them. He was chased around in his yard and unfortunately, four shots were fired in his direction causing his fatal injury."
Courtney Menzies:
"Do you know what caused these two men to attack Mr Arnold?"
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Officer
"From the preliminary investigation, I am just going by the attack that took place yesterday but I have been reading a lot of hearsay on social media and I have asked the investigators to look into those other avenues that people are alleging out there."
And not just shot, but stabbed as well, according to his family.
On Friday, his sister kept a watchful eye on him throughout the march, not knowing that the threat against his life would find him right at home. Now, this family is mourning the loss of another sibling killed in the month of March.
Crystal Morris, Sister of Deceased
"Me and he walked for the peace march Friday that went, he took off his shirt and put on one of Dawson's shirt and me and him walked together and every minute that me and him walked, I was looking at my brother, for us to walk and keep our heads straight, because it was nothing with no gang anything, but you know how those guys go, I see a whole amount go gang boys all around the place so I was just watching and keeping an eye on my brother. Me and him walked until the end, and Sunday this is the news that we got, I can't believe this happened to us, because my mom, I don't know how my mom will even take this, it's too much my mom had eight of us and we are only left with six now."
"Thursday, my brother made three years they killed my next brother and now this knocked at our door again. It's so hard, this is hard on my mom, it's hard on all of us. We get to understand that my brother, he lives behind Faber's Road at his girlfriend's house, we get to understand that somebody came in the yard, ambushed him, they were in the yard waiting on him, when he went to buy and come back, they were in the yard. I don't know what exactly happened, I don't know what my brother did to them, I don't know what exactly happened but I heard they stabbed him here, one shot him, they said it was two of them, they chanced him out of his life, they said he slipped down, they stabbed him up."
Courtney Menzies:
"Did you know if he had previous altercation or problems with the father of his girlfriend's children?"
Crystal Morris, Sister of Deceased
"I heard the other day they had a previous problem the other day so I don't know if it's that that led to this problem now, I don't know because nobody wants to do my brother anything so I guess it's that problem that led my brother to his death. Because they said, last two weeks, those two had some problem between- I'm not saying, the girl doesn't have anything to do with the father, but he look like he doesn't want to leave her, give up, that my brother lives with her, they already have a life together, they already have a son together, already making their life together, he look like he couldn't accept that, that's what it looks like to me."
And now, Arnold's 1-year-old son will have to grow up without his father - a man that his sister said always knew how to liven up a room.
Crystal Morris, Sister of Deceased
"He was a so wonderful person, he always makes you smile, always talk things to make you laugh, my brother was a so… excited person, always happy, he is the life of the party, everybody knows that. Raheem aka Footy is the life of the party, when he is around, we will party, and we will enjoy ourselves."
"As a father, he dedicated all his life to his son, his son, one year and change since his son was born, he dedicated his life to his son, he mind his son, take care of his son when his mom isn't around, he does everything for his son, I don't even know how the little boy will cope with this because he so love his father, I don't know how my nephew will cope with this."
Arnold was working as a supervisor at CYDP.
