Brandon Gillett Appears in Court Following Gun Charges

Thirty-eight-year-old Brandon Gillett was back in court on Wednesday after being granted bail in the sum of ten thousand dollars for five firearm offenses he was charged with back in December 2023.  The court bailiff, accompanied by attorney Orson Elrington, appeared before the Chief Magistrate where a date for full disclosure has been set for February twenty-eighth.  On December twenty-second, three days before Christmas, Gillett showed up in court unrepresented and charges were read to him after police visited his home in Los Lagos to execute a search warrant for unlicensed firearms.  They found two weapons, including a nine millimeter Glock pistol and a .223 Springfield Armory Rifle with several attachments for which he didn’t have written authorization from the Commissioner of Police.  The search followed an incident that was recorded and shared on social media during which Gillett brandished the rifle in front of a group of churchgoers attending a funeral service here in Belize City.  He was subsequently arrested and charged, remanded to custody for seven days, before being released on bail.

Incidentally, the Firearms and Ammunition Control Board announced earlier today that it will be conducting an audit and placing a moratorium on firearm licenses for .223 rifles.  The release states, (quote), this decision comes as part of the board’s commitment to ensuring transparency, accountability, and the responsible management of firearms and ammunition in Belize.  In addition to the audit, the Firearms and Ammunition Control Board has also decided to impose a moratorium on the processing of firearm licenses for .223 caliber rifles pending a review.  This decision aims to ensure that the issuance of such licenses is done in a manner consistent and in the best interest of public safety, (end quote).