Photo: Troy Hyde and Lamisha Moody, deceased
by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Feb. 22, 2024
A barrage of gunshots were fired in the Jane Usher area of Belize City on Wednesday night, February 21, and when the shooting ended one man was dead, and a minor girl, who was a bystander caught in the crossfire, was gasping her last breaths
The victim’s identities have been revealed to Amandala to be Troy Hyde, 36, and Lamisha Moody, 15, a student of Anglican Cathedral College, both residents of the area.
Initial reports indicate that at around 8:30 p.m., Hyde and Moody were at a nearby convenience store situated at the corner of Curl Thompson and Mud Streets. While they were at the store, a vehicle coming from the other end of Curl Thompson Street headed directly toward them and stopped in front of the store, whereupon three gunmen exited the vehicle and fired shots in their direction.
Moody reportedly ran from the scene and collapsed in a nearby drain with a single gunshot that penetrated her chest. She would die moments later at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after being transported there. Meanwhile, Hyde didn’t have a chance to escape the hail of bullets, and died instantly.
Lamisha’s grandmother, Sherand Sutherland told Amandala that Moody doesn’t normally go to that particular store, but she had gone there to purchase an item for herself as she was planning to go on a school trip today, Thursday. Sutherland mentioned that Moody would routinely visit her home every evening after school.
Sutherland said that one of her daughters called her a few minutes before the incident happened, and foreshadowed the exact details of Moody’s unfortunate demise.
“Di exact dream she tell me [she] get, da mi exactly weh happen. Di dream weh she get, like right afta she get da dream bout ih niece Lamisha, and get off di phone wid me, I hyaa dis heavy sound; but I seh gunshot nuh sound soh. So I continue to relax pahn my bed until I hyaa di hallaring out ya,” she emotionally said.
Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams arrived in the neighborhood and discussed with the media the latest double homicide. He noted that the weapons used were three 9-millimeter pistols, and that police have impounded the vehicle used in this assault and detained the owner for questioning.
At this time, authorities don’t have a concrete motive. The ComPol explained that they are looking at two possible theories.
“We have two theories; one can be inter-gang rivalry, and one can be an external gang that came in to do the incident. So, we’re looking at both theories at this time,” he said.
ComPol Williams further mentioned, “… it’s disheartening to see both of them lose their lives. At the end of the day, every life is important, and as I’ve always said, no matter what we may think of anybody, they still do have people [who] love them and will be left to mourn and suffer if they were to pass; and the same can be said here.”
Both families are feeling the weight of their loved ones losing their lives in this fashion. In the case of Moody, her father had recently passed away due to natural causes. The Hyde family declined to be interviewed by the media, but we were told that in a similar fashion, Hyde’s younger brother, Justin Hyde was gunned down in 2017, also in the Jane Usher area.
In 2015, Troy Hyde was accused of murder and was granted bail three years later; eventually, the case was dismissed as a nolle pros. Despite Hyde’s past, the family expressed that he was making a positive impact on the community, and was planning to do an Easter event for the children.
Moody’s family said she had aspirations to become a lawyer.