A quiet, routine family gathering in northern Belize’s Gardenia Village ended in senseless tragedy on Sunday evening, when an unidentified lone gunman opened fire without warning, killing 15-year-old Rackeem Armstrong and leaving his 18-year-old cousin Justin Young hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Local law enforcement has launched an active homicide investigation into the attack, which has left the tight-knit community reeling from the loss of a young life and left one promising graduate fighting for recovery.
According to accounts from family members who survived the attack, the pair of cousins were among a larger group of relatives gathered for a weekly Sunday barbecue at their family home when the shooter approached the property shortly after 8:00 p.m. No confrontation or altercation preceded the gunfire, leaving those present completely unprepared for the violence that unfolded.
Kayla Young, Justin’s mother, spoke to local outlet News 5 about the chaotic moments immediately after the first shots rang out. She had just arrived at the family gathering when the attack began, recalling: “All I see was light, pop, pop… I couldn’t even realise what was going on.” In the panic that followed, family members scattered for cover, and it was only after the gunman fled that Young was able to locate the two downed teenagers—one of whom was her own son.
Justin, who had just completed an information technology vocational training program at AC Level Two in Belize City, was just hours away from starting his first scheduled job training when the shooting occurred. Remarkably, he remained conscious in the immediate aftermath of the attack, and even whispered to his mother: “Mom, I was supposed to go to work today.”
Young emphasized that both teenagers were entirely innocent and had no known conflicts with anyone in the community. “They had no type of issue with anybody,” she said. “As I tell you, they are young teenagers, just growing up.”
As of the latest update, Belizean police have not made any arrests in connection with the shooting, nor have they released the names of any persons of interest. News 5 has confirmed it will continue to provide updates as new details emerge from the ongoing investigation.