A man has been charged for Friday night's shooting at Marion Jones - but not for killing gang leader Brandon Baptist - which he says he did in self defense and with a licensed weapon.
29 yearly BWEL Supervisor, Shevaughn Gotoy was arraigned on 8 counts, including 2 counts of attempted murder, 2 counts of dangerous harm, 3 counts of use of deadly means of harm and one count of wounding in connection with shooting at Marion Jones Stadium on January 31, 2025 that left 3 injured, namely John Grinage Gerson Mena and Kameron Williams.
Gotoy was accompanied in court by attorney Orson "OJ" Elrington. No plea could be made due to the seriousness of the offenses and he was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until April 8.
Elrington is in the process of applying for bail at the High Court starting today.
Police say that Gotoy was interviewed in the presence of his attorney and a JP where he admitted that he fired shots at Brandon Baptist in self-defense. The DPP is reviewing evidence in that matter and will advise the police on how to proceed.
A Statement from Gotoy's family says, quote, "We...wish to state that Shevaughn is neither affiliated with any gang nor has he ever been involved in any gang-related activities. Shevaughn comes from a respected, loving and humble family. At the game, he simply greeted persons he knew from the neighbourhood and was there to enjoy the event, when he came under attack from a known gang leader. Feeling threatened, especially when the deceased pulled out a weapon and approached, Shevaughn acted in self-defense and fired his licensed firearm to protect himself and others in the area...He never intended to harm anyone that night; but was simply protecting his life and the life of innocent persons attending the game. We are truly sorry for the loss and the pain this has caused. Shevaughn also grieves for the tragedy." End quote.
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