Unitedville, Cayo District. Wed. Sept. 1, 2021– On Monday night, August 30, a teenager and a young boy were fatally shot in Unitedville. One of the young victims was 18-year-old Lloyd Myvett, and the other was a nine-year-old child, Jamir McKoy, who also passed away due to the gunshot injuries he received.

According to reports, Myvett and McKoy (and, according to some reports, McKoy’s father) were standing beside a parked car in front of a food shop belonging to McKoy’s mother in Unitedville. Shortly after, an unknown gunman appeared and fired shots in their direction. Myvett was hit in the right side of the chest and succumbed to his injuries about two hours after the incident, while Mckoy was critically wounded in the abdomen.

McKoy was transported to the Western Regional Hospital and had undergone a three-hour-long surgery, after which his condition had been stabilized. It had been reported that he had even talked to family members extensively. His condition later worsened, however, and he had to be transported to Belize City at about 1:30 Tuesday morning. At about 8:00 a.m. the following day, it was reported that he had passed away.

Members of his family received word of the shooting shortly before curfew hours and were informed of the seriousness of the injury he had received. When they went to the scene of the shooting, they saw Myvette and McKoy in a pool of blood, with two persons holding onto them. The two young boys’ families were well-acquainted. Lloyd Myvett would frequently visit McKoy’s father, and McKoy and Myvett were reportedly very close friends.

Before this incident, Myvett had planned to enroll in a youth apprenticeship program conducted by the Department of Youth Services. Myvett and McKoy’s father had been planning to go to a local business called Cool Shade in an effort to find a job for him as an orange picker until he gained admission into the apprenticeship program.

Police have charged a suspect, 27-year-old Jovannie O’Brien, for the double murder of Myvett and McKoy. His wife, Bettina O’Brien, was also arrested for another crime. The police further searched their home, where they found two live rounds of 9mm ammunition. The duo were jointly charged for kept ammunition without a gun license. No motive has yet been established for the shooting. The police continue to investigate this incident.