Last night, a murder in Corozal Town took the life of a father of one. 36 year old Eugene Myers had been targeted before, but a gunman fatally shot him on First Street, right outside of a hotel. According to his family, Myers was trying to escape his criminal life, but according to police, his death is drug related. Courtney Menzies has this story.
36 year old Eugene Myers was shot in the head around 8:00 last night in Corozal Town. He was about to enter Hotel Martin to pick up some money when he was targeted by a lone gunman.
According to his common law wife, she spoke to him about an hour before that and he said he would be home soon. But that ended up being the last conversation they had because shortly after, she got the call that he was dead.
Keisha Rivero, Common Law Wife
"At that moment I fell down and my life was cancelled, my heart dropped. I had a full blown panic attack, my son was there."
"To me, it still looks like a joke, I haven't accepted it as yet either until they opened the door and I saw the body bag, I felt like there was a barrier between me and that room because I'm the only one there, I'm the only one he had. So when they opened the bag I saw the shot and everything and all I could say is yes this is Eugene Myers and I don't know if it was a set up, I have no knowledge of what happened, because all I know is he was supposed to collect money from a friend and then come home so apart from that I don't know anything else."
And Rivero said since his vehicle had been targeted in November of last year, they tried to escape violence by moving to Corozal.
Keisha Rivero, Common Law Wife
"The reason we moved away from town, I don't know if you saw the news, in December they shot up a red pickup in town on the highway. That was our pickup, we were at the store at that time and he told me, go into the store and buy what you need to buy I'm going to wait in the car, I told him no let's go with me."
"We came out of the store and we used to call the pickup big sexy, everybody knows the pickup as big sexy, so a little girl came and said they just shot up big sexy. At the time we still hadn't processed that was the name of the pickup until I saw at my window there was bullet holes and I fell into a shock and I was like, you were supposed to be in that car."
And when we asked the police about that incident, ACP Hilberto Romero explained that he had been a target for some time.
ACP Hilberto Romero, HNCIB
"We believe it is drug related. The deceased had issues with several persons in Corozal and he was waiting for someone to do a transaction involving cash."
Courtney Menzies:
"On November 9th, sometime in early November, his vehicle was shot at. Is that related to this incident?"
ACP Hilberto Romero, HNCIB
"That is correct, he has been receiving threats and the person came there and fatally shot him."
Courtney Menzies:
"Do police believe it's the same person who targeted his vehicle that shot him?"
ACP Hilberto Romero, HNCIB
"We do not know as that case was not solved, the first shooting, no one was charged for that shooting."
Reporter:
"No criminal history for the deceased?"
ACP Hilberto Romero, HNCIB
"He's on bail for robbery and other crimes."
And while Rivero admitted that Myers had a criminal past, she said that he was trying to do better for his family and was always looking out for his friends.
Keisha Rivero, Common Law Wife
"Me and Eugene, when we met, it was under some weird circumstances. He was always a fun person. Everyone that knows Eugene, the entirety of Corozal knew Eugene because of how he was outgoing. Eugene could literally have his last and once his family is straight at home and you come and say, big papa I haven't eaten today, you think you could lend me some money? He's going to lend you. If he doesn't have, he's going to call me, babe, what did you cook today we have leftover? Yes okay I will send a runman for it. He was kind and he did have a past and I always used to tell him you can't run away from your past, you now have a kid. This is your family and you have to remember either way we have to be safe."
"He did not deserve that, we did not deserve this."
