As we told you last night, another man was killed was killed in the Jane Usher area of Belize City. It is the second murder there in a week - and last night on Mud Street, a killer went into 31-year-old Keith Middleton's family yard to execute him.
7News was on the scene last night and Sahar Vasquez has more:
Sahar Vasquez reporting
Last night started out as an average night for Keith Middleton. He and a friend were outside in his yard socializing when 7 gunshots rang out. Those 7 gunshots were not random they were all aimed in the direction of Middleton and each shot pierced his body, killing him in his own yard. The yard he used to play in with his one-year-old son.
Cherry May Howard, Mother of Deceased
"At the same time one of his friends came to hail him and they came back here to talk and in less than 5 seconds I heard seven gunshots. I put the babies on the floor but my grandson jumped up and I held him down."
"When I opened the door my son was on the step. It looks like they shot him only in his face. Me and my next son we picked him up and rolled him and put him down there."
Police were on the scene shortly after and this video captures the commotion, the chaos and anguish.
And a life that ended in abject violence - had once seemed more hopeful. The 31 year old Middleton was once a man with a steady job in the construction industry but he ended up in prison on July 18th for a street fight with his ex-common law wife. He was released on the 31st of August and was trying to get back on his feet but things didn't work out. 48 days later he was murdered.
His family says he had learned tough lessons from previous shootings - but they claim the same gunmen stalked him:
Cherry May Howard, Mother Of Deceased
"He does not fool with anyone else. He is not like that because he already got shot twice. so he does not go out. He does not even go to the shop."
"The gunman just went and shot him. His cousin was with him at the time so he rushed him to the hospital and the second time the same men that shot him the first time, shot him the second time last night."
Middleton's mom explained that after he was released from prison he received several death threats. She and the family could not understand why they would want to hurt him as he had not done anything to the ones threatening him besides not associating with them.
Sahar Vasquez, reporter
"He felt he was in possible danger?"
Cherry May Howard, Mother of Deceased
"They told him from last week from they shot the young man there and the man told him you will die next P****. I asked him why would you kill my son for, what did he do to you?"
"He was getting warnings from everybody because everybody heard the talking they will kill him or my younger son."
Last night as his mother latched on for support as police got ready to move her son's body,
Nothing could prepare them for the pain of this moment, when the body was carted out
And his sister reflexively broke the police barrier to sit with her brother one more time - a final reunion in in the back of a police pickup
Followed by an eruption of grief - for a brother, son, friend, and father, lost to violence in this most deadly neighborhood:
It is the fourth murder in this terrified area in two months - and they have all been gang related, and no one has been arrested for any of them.
Reports say police have a suspect in custody - but we cannot confirm since the Department no longer answers our questions. This murder happened a block away from where Gilroy Martinez was killed on August 28th. And it happened about a quarter mile from where Justin Hyde was killed last week.
Middleton had been shot in October and November of 2010, but, both times, he escaped with only minor injury.
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