Today, police have upgraded the charge of attempted murder against Renan Briceño, Jr., 32, a marketing officer for Speednet Communications, to murder.
Briceño’s alleged shooting victim, Dale Tillett, 19, succumbed to his injuries this morning, Thursday, January 5, at about 9:30 while undergoing treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
Briceño was allegedly involved in a shooting incident with Dale and Brandon Tillett, 25, at Palm Island Night Club on the Northern Highway, Mile 2, on December 31, New Year’s eve.
Briceño, who is reportedly one of the main representatives of Speednet in terms of promotions and sponsorships, was originally at another New Year’s eve venue. He then went to Palm Island to oversee another event at the nightclub that was being sponsored by his company.
It is there that one of his associates was reportedly antagonized by one of the nightclub’s patrons.
Witnesses tell Amandala that Briceño attempted to leave the nightclub with that associate, but the men who were bothering Briceno’s associate followed them outside.
Police say that’s when Briceño reportedly pulled out his licensed firearm from his vehicle and fired at the men who refused to leave them alone. Police said that Briceño ended up shooting Dale Tillett in the back of the head, and Brandon Tillett in the left foot.
Reports to our newspaper are that he fired into the air first and then at the advancing men.
The two Tilletts were rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), and Briceño was taken into police custody, where he reportedly immediately handed in his firearm.
While police had initially believed that Briceño, a resident of #4 Lover’s Lane, Orange Walk District, shot the two men, on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, in the court room of Belize City’s Senior Magistrate, Sharon Frazer, he only was arraigned on a total of three charges against one brother, Dale Tillett.
Briceño was then charged with attempted murder [now murder], the use of deadly means of harm and dangerous harm, with the use of a firearm.
Briceño was represented in court by attorneys Richard “Dickie” Bradley and David Morales. Due to the allegation of the use of a firearm, Briceño was not then granted bail and furthermore, no plea was taken from him.
Now that the charge has been upgraded to murder, he cannot get bail.
Briceño, we were told by his attorney, carries a licensed firearm. He was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until his court date on February 16, 2012.
The management at Palm Island sent out a press release yesterday, saying that they made every attempt to prevent such an incident from occurring, and that on that particular night, there were five police officers on duty who made thorough checks that none of the patrons were carrying concealed weapons.
The release further stated that the incident occurred after the club had closed, and the incident could not have been avoided, since it seems that there was a dispute of a personal nature between the two parties involved.