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Sawed Off Shotgun Killed Ruta Maya Paddler
posted (May 22, 2018)
And from violence in Belize City to more bloodshed in Cayo - a man was slain in front of Blue Angels Night Club after 1:00 Monday morning. 28 year old Kyne Gentle was with his friends buying food in front of the club when a man just walked up to Gentle and shot him with a sawed off shotgun. Now Gentle is well known in the sporting community so why would anyone want this athlete dead? There just aren't any clear answers to this question. Courtney Weatherburne has more.

Courtney Weatherburne, reporting
Nothing brought more pride and joy to the Gentle family than to see Kyne in the PACT team canoe getting ready for La Ruta Maya 2018. He is the man in the middle - excited to get paddling.

This was Gentle's first time in the race and he did well - putting in his fair share of work.

Reporter
"You are the calm one on the crew, true?"

Interview with Kyne Gentle (FILE)
"Yes Ma'am."

Reporter
"That is why you will not break anything and kill anything - everything will be peaceful and steady?"

Interview with Kyne Gentle (FILE)
"I take out my aggressiveness when I am in the race."

Reporter
"So when you come from out there, you are alright."

Interview with Kyne Gentle (FILE)
"Yes, ma'am."

Apart from canoeing, Gentle was very active in other sports as well.

Adelida Perez, Grandmother
"They took the bicycle race, so they went into sports, then they came out and then they took horse, they learned to deal with horse and after that they come and then from there they took over canoe race."

But Gentle's family will never get to see him in anymore sporting events, because he was killed early Sunday morning in front of Blue Angels Club. Gentle's cousin, Lourdes Codd and her husband were selling food in front of the club when the first shot rang out. By the time Codd rushed over to Gentle, the gunman finished him off with a shot to the head

Lourdes Codd, Cousin
"I was in the car when I heard the first gunshot but I didn't think it was a gunshot because you know kids are always around bursting "cuetes" and then I got out of the car and then I ask my husband what happened and he say it is Kyne who got shot and then I said no and I ran around the table to the street in front of Blue Angles and I saw him laying there and I saw the guy went down to his head and I scream out and I say to him why you kill my cousin, why you kill him."

Courtney Weatherburne, reporter
"And you actually saw the man shoot your cousin?"

Lourdes Codd, Cousin
"But I do not know his face, we didn't see any face because his back was turned to my face so I couldn't recognize no one."

Courtney Weatherburne
"You all have no answers, you don't know why anyone would want to kill him?"

Lourdes Codd, Cousin
"He no kill no one, people like say he is a bad person but he is not a bad person he just defend his rights."

Adelida Perez, Grandmother
"Like somebody want hurt you and he finds out that they want to hurt you, he will find that person."

Courtney Weatherburne
"So he is a person who stands up for himself and others and others,"

It is anyone's guess if that altruism got him in trouble. But while those questions about his murder linger, the family has to deal with the grief and sorrow of his loss.

Adelida Perez, Grandmother
"I raise them like they are my children, I raise them from they were small, I put them through school, through college."

"I will miss him because I won't see him again, I still ask the sweet Lord to give him a resting place, the Lord is waiting for him."

It is the only hope they can have for Gentle now whose race has been run.

He leaves behind a 2 year old son.

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