A senseless act of gun violence has cut short the life of a bright, ambitious 20-year-old Belizean university student, leaving her family shattered and forcing the nation of Belize to once again grapple with the human toll of its persistent public safety crisis. Brianna Myvett, an economics and finance major, dedicated volleyball player, devout churchgoer, and an only child, was fatally shot in a targeted drive-by attack on the evening of August 31, 2026, outside a Belize City restaurant just blocks from her home. A second victim, 24-year-old Alexander Carr, who was seated in the vehicle with Myvett at the time of the shooting, remains in critical condition at a local hospital as of the latest updates. Investigators report that an unidentified suspect or suspects drove alongside Myvett and Carr in a black SUV before opening fire, fleeing the scene immediately after the attack.
For Brianna’s father, Fitzroy Myvett, the tragedy has left him in uncharted, crippling grief that no parent could ever prepare for. The elder Myvett, who waited up for his daughter to return home that night and was the one called in to identify her body, described the aftermath as an unbearable, numbing shock. “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,” Myvett told reporters, echoing a growing frustration among Belizeans over the unrelenting pace of gun violence across the country. “Is the violence not stopping and it just does not seem as if there is an end to it,” he added.
Those who knew Brianna remember her as a kind, hardworking young woman with a calm demeanor and a constant smile. Rekishia Hower, Brianna’s faith mentor, described her as a humble, respectful person who embraced her faith shortly after joining her local congregation, growing to become a beloved member of the church community. “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,” Hower recalled. “When I confirmed the news, all I did was felt heavy in my heart.”
Just an hour before the attack, Brianna was doing what she loved most: practicing with her teammates at the Stars Volleyball Club. Gym administrator Emma Hoare shared that Brianna regularly balanced a packed schedule of university classes, a part-time job at a local prison, and volleyball training, always making time to show up for her team with dedication and energy. Hoare said she still cannot process that the young woman she saw just hours before the shooting is gone. “Last night I just went downstairs, and I didn’t even greet her. Normally I would greet her and chat for a minute or two and then head home,” Hoare said, her voice heavy with regret. “I was shocked that she passed. I cried a bit and I was thinking about them.”
Brianna’s killing adds another entry to Belize’s growing list of gun violence homicides, a crisis that has destroyed hundreds of families across the small Central American nation in recent years. What makes this loss cut particularly deep for the Belize City community is the potential that was stolen: Brianna was on track to earn her bachelor’s degree in economics and finance, with big plans for a career in the field that she worked tirelessly to achieve. As investigators continue their search for the attackers, Brianna’s family, friends, and teammates are left to mourn a life cut far too short, and to wonder when the wave of violence devastating their communities will finally end. Reporting for News Five, Paul Lopez notes that this tragedy is far more than a statistic: it is the loss of a beloved daughter, a loyal teammate, a devoted friend, and a young leader who would have contributed so much to her country.