Main Suspect in Gang Leader’s Fatal Shooting Arraigned but Claims Self-Defense

The main suspect in Friday’s night fatal shooting was taken to court today and is facing multiple charges, but not yet for the fatal shooting of gang leader Brandon Baptist. That’s because the 29-year-old told police he shot gang boss Brandon Baptist but that it was in self-defense. This morning, Shevaughn Gotoy, a supervisor at a butane station, was arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on two counts of attempted murder, two counts of dangerous harm, three counts of use of deadly means of harm, and one count of wounding. The charges stem from the shooting incident that claimed the life of Brandon Baptist and injured his associates: John Grinage, Gerson Mena, and Kameron Williams. Today, Gotoy was escorted to court under a special police guard to answer to the changes. In the presence of his attorney, Orson “OJ” Elrington, Gotoy appeared before a senior magistrate who read the eight charges against him. Because the offenses were indictable, no plea was entered, and Gotoy was informed that bail could not be granted at this time. He will remain in custody until at least April 8, 2025, unless he is granted bail at the High Court. Following the shooting, Gotoy had turned himself into police in the presence of his attorney. The Hibiscus Street resident had also handed over his licensed firearm, which was sealed and sent to the National Forensic Laboratory for analysis. Notably, Gotoy is yet to face any charges for the death of Brandon Baptist, because he claims he fired the shots in self-defense. Today, his family issued a statement alleging that Gotoy is not a gang member and is not affiliated with any gangs. They claim he came under attack and felt threatened, resulting in him pulling his licensed firearm and opening fire. They say Gotoy never intended to harm anyone but was protecting himself.