7 News Belize

University Student Murdered; A Gang War Casualty
posted (September 18, 2014)
And, two hours after Flores was killed, 10 gunshots rang out on Angel Lane, in the vicinity of Pinks Alley. Four men were shot, one of them fatally: he is 26 year-old John Avilez who lived in Angel Lane.

Avilez was hanging out with 3 other men, 28 year-old Nigel Ferguson, 30 year-old Mark Alamilla, and 28 year-old William Savery right outside his house when a vehicle drove up around 9 p.m.

Police say that a man exited that vehicle and fired several shots at the entire group, making it the third shooting of the night. Ferguson was injured in left cheek, while Allamilla was injured in the left upper leg. Aviles suffered 2 injuries to the right side of his chest and 1 to the right arm, and his companion, Savery took a bullet to the right side of the buttocks.

All 4 men were rushed to the hospital where doctors tried for approximately an hour and a half to save Aviles' life. Unfortunately, he passed away from his injures while undergoing treatment.

By all appearances, Avilez had no ties to the street violence which claimed his life. He was a student of the University of Belize, and when news of his untimely passing hit the social media, there was an outpouring of sympathies for his immediate family. Today, we spoke with one of his friends who told us that Avilez's death was very much unexpected:

Kensworth Williams, Friend of Deceased
"He was a very nice person if you ever got to speak to him. He was very jovial, very happy to be around and just a great person overall."

Daniel Ortiz
"How many years have you known him?"

Kensworth Williams, Friend of Deceased
"Actually I've just known him maybe 9-10 months from now. But knowing him for that short period of time it just felt attach being around. Everyone that knows him love being around him."

Daniel Ortiz
"Then tell us knowing that he had just a tragic end, an end that's undeserved. Tell us about the reactions you had when you saw that news that my friend got shot?"

Kensworth Williams, Friend of Deceased
"That was sad to know that, you just saw him Saturday at the carnival and he is not here with you anymore. I am actually wearing black today because to signify that he meant something to me even though I met him a short time and to everyone else who knew him. It's sad to know that people like him who is trying to pursue a bachelor's degree, they try to better themselves to get an education, life was cut so short and it's sad to know that the state of Belize the violence has reach to this point whereby you don't even feel safe in your own home. I was so devastated."

His other companions who were injured in that shooting have all survived that attack. Police report that Nigel Ferguson and Mark Alamilla remains at the KHMH in a stable condition, while Williams Savery remains critical.

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