Gun Violence Claims Two Lives in One Weekend

Two lives lost to gun violence in just twenty-four hours; that’s the grim reality Belize City woke up to this weekend. Late Saturday night, forty-one-year-old Earl Archer, a contractor from Orange Walk, was shot on Pelican Street Extension. Police say the attack happened just after 10:30 p.m. Archer was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, but doctors couldn’t save him. His killing came less than a day after another tragedy, the fatal shooting of Wayne “Pie Bwai” Myles, a well-known street vendor. Myles was found dead inside his Eleventh Street home on Friday night. Two men, two nights, two families shattered. And now, a city left asking: Why is the violence escalating, and who will stop it? Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the following story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Tonight, heartbreak grips another Belize City family after forty-one-year-old Earl Archer Jr. was shot and killed in yet another act of gun violence. On Saturday night, around ten thirty p.m., Archer was on his way home from seeing his girlfriend when several shots were fired in his direction, leading to his fatal injuries. Police are still piecing together what could have led to his murder.

 

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“The investigation commenced when officers that were on patrol in the general area heard several shots being fired. And upon establishing the scene of that shooting incident, they observed a male person who was later identified to be Archer with apparent gunshot wounds to the body. Archer was ferried to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for treatment, however he succumbed to the injuries he sustained. The scene was processed by scenes of crime personnel, and the area was for possible witnesses. Police have not established a motive in this incident. And Archer, though known to police has not been linked to any gang activity.”

 

Archer was only a few minutes from home at the time of his death, and the gunshots were heard by members of his family, who had no idea that he was the target of the attack. His brother, Kenrick Archer, says the family is devastated at the sudden loss.

 

Voice of: Kenrick Archer, Brother of Deceased

“All you can say whenever you hear gunshots, fireworks, dynamite is hopefully it’s not one of your loved ones. It’s like I count my eggs too quick because I say all of all the traffic accidents, all of the murders, all of the killings and those sort of stuff, nothing immediate that happens to my family member. And unfortunately, I speak too fast.”

 

Beyond their grief, the family now lives in fear for their own safety. Archer explains that as a Black man on Belize City’s southside, staying alert isn’t optional, it’s a way of life, even if you have no ties to gangs.

 

Voice of: Kenrick Archer

“It could be something that he was off guard. I wouldn’t say off guard because. I don’t know what he did to anyone, but catch him after guard because he rarely walks. And to say, if I’m at any public place and he knows, he’ll give me a call and give me a heads up and say, Hey, Kenrick, so and so and I’ll say, okay, bro, I’m good. Whatever. So he’s being a protector for me. And he always try to watch his areas because you done know the day and age everybody is an opportunist. When it comes to doing their mischief or idleness.”

 

Earl was a father of four and was the eldest of four siblings. He and his girlfriend had recently moved to Belize City for work and to be closer to their family as they raise their young child. Kenrick says that above everything, he remembers his brother as always having his back in time of need.

 

Voice of: Kenrick Archer

“For me,  being that I’m the soft one of the family, he’s the protector, he always makes sure that I’m always safe. He always makes sure Kenrick, if anything, anybody play with you, you just come buzz me type of person.”

 

Right now, the family’s focus is on giving Earl a proper farewell. They’re leaning on their faith, trusting that justice will come in time.

 

Voice of: Kenrick Archer

“Whatever person, whatever animal, who sees it positive to them, all I can say is kudos to them. But we are gonna be strong.  Like I say, like a lot of family members we’re gonna be strong and hopefully karma. Because there’s no way the justice system, they’re failing us and the last thing is to try to say that we want justice because, if we get justice- five months, six months in remand, they just walk free.”

 

While police continue their investigations into both killings, residents are calling for real solutions to stem the bloodshed across the city. Britney Gordon for News Five.