And while no one was injured in Roaring Creek, two men were shot dead in Belize City over the weekend. The first happened early on Saturday morning and the victim was 50-year-old Dion Bowden. Bowden was walking not too far from his home when he was killed, but the police's quick response has already led to an arrest.
Courtney Menzies visited his family today and has this story.
50-year-old Dion "Mr T" Bowden was walking in Pitts Alley around 2:00 on Saturday morning when a gunman targeted him. He was killed on Pitts Alley, not far from his home.
While his family doesn't know why it happened, his nephew said that he knew his uncle had a past, and maybe that just caught up to him.
Voice of: Shalwyn, Nephew of Deceased
"Back in the day, he had his little thing but my uncle is known, he's old school, he's an OG, he's known to everybody. So what really happened that night, it's hard to explain, it's really hard to explain. I wasn't there, I don't know what happened, I just heard the shots ring off and somebody came to call me, they said they killed my uncle through Pitts Alley so just, I reached at the spot and saw my uncle dead on the ground. Can't do anything about it but…"
"Right now it's just, my uncle what I could see in my uncle in my eyesight, well, to me I was his motivation and I told him advice as his nephew. I won't say he rather friends than family but we're his family, we give him advice, his brother, me as his nephew, we talk to him, uncle, this and that but to me, my uncle is fun, my uncle he was blessed. When he comes, he makes you laugh, he talks a lot of craziness so whatever is his past, who doesn't have a past, who doesn't have sins, so I really can't say anything bad about my uncle but my uncle is blessings."
For Police it was an open and shut case - within 36 hours they had arrested and charged 35 year old Jeffrey Pott and traced the motive back to an earlier misunderstanding:
ACP Hilberto Romero, OC Eastern Division
"An investigation was carried out into this shooting and since we have arrested and charged Jeffery Pott for the crime of Murder."
"There was a previous altercation in the Alley with Deon Bodden and another person before the shooting."
But even though he knew his uncle caused trouble in the past, his nephew says it doesn't make the pain of grief any easier.
Voice of: Shalwyn, Nephew of Deceased
"Everything is just frustration, we've been through pain, but me as a young man right now, I been through so much, I just have to stay strong. I just have to stay strong, I went through my brother, granny, uncle, family members, and the more death, like I just get used to it. Yes, I'm strong but the emotions and the pain is just there and my dad and them, they're different than me, they're more different, I have more understanding, but I just have to deal with it and take it in and understand. It just makes me stronger, I let go of my tears, who doesn't cry? Who doesn't have emotions? So when I let go my tears it just makes me stronger and makes me a better person."
But he still wished his uncle had followed his advice:
Voice of: Shalwyn, Nephew of Deceased
"Otherwise, my uncle, he was a straight G, he was a blessed uncle. We grew up together, he watched me as I grew up. We're the closest family. But the advice that we gave him, he's his own man, it was just his ways, his habits. You could just talk to him but otherwise it's just he who has to listen. 2:00 in the morning, come on, man, you have kids, you should be at home. I don't know."
He had two kids under the age of four.
