21-Year-Old Belize City Resident Shot Dead In L.A.

A twenty-one-year-old Belize City resident was shot dead in the United States. Jermaine Terry migrated to Los Angeles, California when he was nineteen to further his education. He later left school and began working, while living with his father. Over the weekend, Terry, his father and another individual were on their way home when they reportedly knocked down an individual. In the process of rendering aid, Terry and his relatives were ambushed by residents in the area. An armed individual opened fire on Terry, fatally wounding him. News Five’s Paul Lopez sat down with his mother in Belize City. Here is that report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Twenty-one-year-old Jermaine Terry migrated to the United States just over a year ago. Early Sunday morning, he was heading home with his father and another relative after a night out. We spoke with his grieving mother who resides in Belize City. She explained that her son left Belize to study and to escape the gang violence that was taking over his community.

 

Voice of: Cynthia Terry, Mother of Deceased

“My son mih wah better off his life you know. We took him out from here to avoid him getting caught up. He got his visa and an opportunity to study abroad. He left. You know teenagers want to try other stuff and something did not go correct. He got a job and was doing his job and he said mom whenever I could I will go back to school, but sometimes teenagers rebel or want to live up their lives and feel like they the miss out.”

 

 

According to Terry’s mother, he was working at a restaurant in Los Angeles where he resided with his father. On the morning of his unfortunate demise, Terry and the other two passengers in the vehicle were reportedly involved in an accident during which they had knocked down an individual.  That incident escalated into an altercation with residents in the area.

 

 

 

Cynthia Terry

“My husband, a cousin and my son went to some family. They had a little house party or something, but then my son told them that they knew about a little place where they wanted him to pass, a little club or something like that. They were there and they passed and a little bit before three o’clock and when my husband pulled up around a curve a young man walked in front of the vehicle and like the vehicle hit the person. So, he come out to render aid, they jumped out and by the time they came out to render aid, the young man gets badly hurt, they just swarm on them and they start to kick up my husband and he passed out. My son defends himself, gets beat up.”

 

According to Cynthia Terry, her son attempted to defend himself while being attacked. He reportedly tried to run away from the scene when a gunman opened fire and shot him in the back.

 

Cynthia Terry

“My son he run, and I know my son saw something fih mek he run, because he nuh wah back down. He dah nuh wah fighter, but he nuh wah run. But I know he saw something, an object or something. And that is why I know my son saw a gun and when he ran he got shot in the back. I do not know the extent of my son, they said that he was beaten in the face and all of that. I haven’t seen him as yet. I have to see to believe but they chance my son out of his life. The area where they were was a gang area and I think because they knock the young man they just took matters in their own hand they just swerved on them and took their anger out.”

 

The grief-stricken mother is left to grapple with the fact that her son lost his life to the same gun violence in the U.S. that he fled from in Belize.

 

Cynthia Terry

“I nuh know how to say about that because I see how things the reach in my neighborhood, more closer and I don’t want them to get caught up, but instead of trying to put them to safety, sometimes we put them into more danger.”

 

 

 

In Belize, Jermaine Terry was known to many as an avid athlete with a promising future. His mother described him as a jovial person with a vibrant personality. The family now awaits an investigation to be concluded before his body can be returned home for burial.

 

Cynthia Terry

“My son loved sports from he was a kid. He went to Viannie, Naz, every school he went my son always tried to enroll himself in sport because he loved sport. He is a fun kid, so fun. He always make the crowd laugh, a joker, like dance, but he is a loving person. Like every other kid he has his good and bad, but I always say my son is a darling.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.