Brianna Myvett is more than another name added to Belize’s growing list of gun violence victims. She was a twenty-year-old university student, a volleyball player and an only child with dreams of building a career in economics and finance. But on Monday night, gunfire in Belize City ended those dreams and left her father facing a loss no parent should ever have to endure. As her family grieves, her killing once again forces the country to confront the human cost of its relentless violence. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Behind Belize City’s latest murder statistic is a grieving father who has lost his only daughter. Twenty-year-old Brianna Myvette’s life ended in gun violence, adding another family to the growing list of those devastated by bloodshed in the Old Capital.
Voice of: Fitzroy Myvett
Voice of: Fitzroy Myvett, Father of Deceased
“What it has done to us, it has left me in a numb state, in a shocked state. I don’t know how to process this right now. I am trying to be strong for everyone, but it is one of the thing that you could never prepare for and a pain you have never experienced or could ever imagine.”
The family’s nightmare began shortly after eleven on Monday night with a knock at the door. Police had come to deliver the devastating news: twenty-year-old Brianna Myvett had been shot and killed outside a restaurant on Freetown Road, just a short distance from her home.
Voice of: Fitzroy Myvett
“We know that she normally go to her volleyball practice then she comes home buys her food and come home, so last night when she went my wife was closing door to knock lock it because Brianna was coming home later. So, I was up waiting on her. I was that person that went and identified my daughter’s body.”
It is a nightmare no father ever expects to face. Reports indicate that Myvett was sitting inside a vehicle with twenty-four-year-old Alexander Carr when a black SUV pulled alongside them and someone opened fire. Carr remains hospitalized in critical condition. Those who knew Brianna remember her as a hardworking young woman, a devoted churchgoer and a passionate volleyball player. Her mentor, Rekishia Hower, was among the first to arrive at the family home this morning, offering comfort as they struggled with the devastating loss.
Voice of: Rekishia Hower
Voice of: Rekishia Hower, Mentor of Deceased
“She accepted the Lord as her lord and savior that first Sunday she went to church and so we were with the family, we became very close with the family, and we were discipling them too to become part of the kingdom of the Lord. So, she was very close to us. I called to confirm with her mom and her mom told me yes, it was her and all I did was felt heavy in my heart, because this individual was very humble, respectable, yes mam, no mam, yes sir no sir and always had that smile when she is speaking with you.”
Just one hour before gunfire claimed her life, Brianna Myvett was doing what she loved. Her coach and teammates at Stars Volleyball Club last saw her at Monday night’s training session, where she remained until ten p.m. Gym Administrator Emma Hoare says no one imagined it would be the last time they saw her alive.
On the Phone: Emma Hoare, Gym Administrator, Stars Volleyball Club
“Mostly last year she was attending night classes as well as working at the prison, so she would sacrifice her time like right after work or school sessions, she would come over. I was shocked at first, this morning I actually read the post, the social media post and I was shocked that she passed. I cried a bit and I was thinking about them. Last night I just went downstairs, and I didn’t even greet her. Normally I would greet he and char for a minute or two and then head home.”
The impact of Brianna’s death is felt across community, and it cuts even deeper for her immediate family. She had set her sights on earning a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance, but her promising journey ended before she could reach that milestone.
Voice of: Fitzroy Myvett
“A lot of emotions, a lot of things going through your mind. Is the violence not stopping and it just does not seem as if there is an end to it.”
The investigation continues, but for Brianna’s loved ones, the deepest pain lies in mourning who she was and imagining who she might have become. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.
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