Monday Morning Murder in Dangriga Town

Emerson Nunez

There was a murder in Dangriga early this morning. The victim, thirty-three-year-old Emerson Nunez, was only a short distance from his home on Gadsby Ramos Street when he was shot three times, once to the head. Nunez’s relatives who were mostly inside their homes sleeping at the time of the murder only heard gunshots in the neighborhood. Moments later they received news that he had been killed. Those relatives are of the belief someone Nunez knew very well led him from the family property to his death. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Voice of: Relative of Deceased

“Sometimes he would spend time with his mom, other times he would spend time here. SO, this weekend he was spending it with us. He was spending this weekend with us. Last night he was hanging out, he was right here at the cross road. He was talking to a friend. The friend went home, the place got quiet after that. After one I heard about three gunshots. I never thought that those gunshots were hitting my cousin. So, I went back to bed but not in a deep doze. An hour later, a relative of mine who lives here, he knock on the door and I asked what happened. He said, well dah Em you know, get two shots, ih dead.”

Thirty-three-year-old Dangriga resident Emerson Nunez was gunned down on Gadsby Ramos Street, only a short distance from the Nunez’s family home, just after one a.m. today. Nunez’s cousin, who spoke to us off-camera, believes that he was lured to his death. They suspect that a female with whom the deceased shared intimate relations was involved in the crime.

Voice of: Relative of Deceased

“We have one suspect and we are leaving that up to the police to do their proper investigation and hoping that at the end of the day we get the justice we deserve, because at the end of the day we all deserve justice. So, when Emerson left here about on last night, he didn’t leave alone. Nobody will tell me that he left alone. And, I strongly believe that Emerson left with somebody that he knew very, very, well. Cause, we know our relatives, and he didn’t leave alone. So it is somebody that he knows, so we have a suspect and we are leaving it up to the police.”

Paul Lopez

“You suspect that whoever he was with may have been involved.”

Emerson Nunez

Relative of Deceased

“Yes, correct”

Paul Lopez

“May it not be a case that those he was with, or that person he was with, was also targeted and may have fled the scene in fear of their life?”

Relative of Deceased

“I believe the target (suspect) fled the scene as soon as he or she did what they wanted to do.”

According to Nunez’s relative, he was a member of a close-knit family that openly communicates their challenges with each other. She says that Nunez never once shared information to any of his relatives about his life being under threat.

Relative of Deceased

“He is the party goer, pan knock Emerson wah deh pan the dance floor. So, that is a great memory that he is leaving with the family. He is great with helping out. He is our little mechanic. He does mechanic in the yard, not by trade, but he knows one and two things about bicycle. So, anything happen to anyone’s bicycle, he would do that. He knows a little bit about carpentry, masonry, every little thing he tried to learn a little bit about. So, he helped us around the yard, our handy man. He doesn’t have any children to leave behind. But, we have great memories with him, knowing that he was always a happy person.”

The family has since submitted the name of one suspect to authorities in hopes that it will assist in the investigation.

Voice of: Relative of Deceased

“At first receiving the news, it was hard for us to accept honestly, because nobody wants news like that. We have seen families talking over the news about losing their loved ones to gun violence, and we never thought that it would have been knocking at our door. Since this incident, my aunt which is his mother, has been taking it very hard. But, what we do, because we are a family of God, we pray. We pray a lot and ask God to intervene, because at this time we need God more than ever. We believe God is intervening and we are holding up. He is gone and we just have to lay him to rest. Emerson has his mom and dad who will take it very hard, so you guys should have thought about his parents you know. So, offer yourself to God. You did wrong, so it is best that you ask God for forgiveness. You did wrong and we are going to leave it in the hands of our creator.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez