Shaheem Slusher, 18, of San Ignacio, died after being stabbed in the right side of the neck by a man with whom he had an altercation at about 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 3, on the river bank behind the Pit Pan Bar in San Ignacio.
According to the family, Slusher had been swimming in the river when he decided to approach a young woman and ask her to go make a purchase for him. The young woman’s boyfriend, 31-year old Brian Burke of Esperanza, however, came up to him and objected to the request, and they became involved in an argument by the riverside, which resulted in Slusher being stabbed.
Police said that when they responded to reports of the stabbing and went to an area by the riverside behind Pit Pan Bar, they saw Slusher’s body, with stab wounds to the neck and to the left shoulder.
Slusher was transported to the San Ignacio Town Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Less than five hours after Slusher was killed, Burke was arrested and charged with murder. He tried to run when police went to the area of the crime, but he was nonetheless apprehended and taken to the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court today, Monday, where he was arraigned in front of Magistrate Narda Morgan. He was then remanded to the Belize Central Prison until August 20, when he is to return to court. There has reportedly been an abundance of witness testimonies to tie Burke to the crime.
The family of Slusher told Amandala that they were at home waiting for Shaheem to come home so that they could go to a concert at the Agricultural Show Grounds, but he never came. Later that evening, a family friend came and told them that Shaheem had been killed and was in the morgue.
They were all shocked and in disbelief. A relative, Alieda Trujillo, told Amandala that everyone knew Shakeem as a respectful person who was not at all violent. He liked to share jokes and help people, she said. She said that he will always be remembered for his humor.
The family is shaken up by the fact that he was killed simply because he approached a girl.
Shaheem Slusher had been living in San Ignacio for the past 8 years and he was employed in the construction industry.
Slusher is survived by his mother, four brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, and a host of friends and relatives.