Former Coast Guard Keyren Tzib says she accidentally shot co-worker; doctors say she had anxiety, depression, PTSD

Published by BBNTEAM at February 14, 2024

Posted: Wednesday, February 14, 2024. 11:26 am CST.

By Aaron Humes: For the first time since the incident on April 6, 2015, in which she allegedly shot a co-worker, Keyren Tzib, 32, has told her side of the story to the High Court.

Tzib, accused of attempted murder of Coast Guardsman Troy Hyde by shooting him with an M-4 carbine rifle, addressed the court of Justice Candace Nanton from the dock in an unsworn statement and avoided cross-examination.

The statement in full is as follows: “My name is Ms. Keyren Tzib, 32 years old. On April 6, 2015, I was 25 years old. I had no intention of harming Mr. Hyde. On that day the gun had gone off accidentally. I had stood up and the waves were rocking the boat that time. I had a little experience in firearms with no criminal record. I had worked as an Administration Clerk at that time. I am very sorry that it happened and I had no intention for it to happen.”

Defense counsel Darrell Bradley called nurse psychiatrist Ingrid Bonilla Bennett and clinical psychologist Crystal Humes to testify as to the defendant’s state of mind.

Nurse Bennett told the court she treated Tzib from 2011 to 2019 for anxiety and depression, related to an alleged rape incident. In April of 2015, she was also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but had no episodes before that and was not on any medication at the time of the shooting.

Nurse Bennett told Crown Counsel prosecutor Glenford Dennison that Tzib “should have been able to understand” her actions and the consequences arising from the incident aboard the boat.

Dr Humes indicated that Tzib’s PTSD had worsened by the time she diagnosed her in October and November of 2023.

The shooting took place around 9:30 a.m. as a team of Coast Guard led by boat captain Hyde was traveling back to Belize City. Three witnesses said Tzib fired once at Hyde’s head from the back of the vessel. Hyde, whose statement was read into evidence and did not personally testify, indicated that he did not see who had shot him as he was driving the boat, but his colleagues said they tried to disarm Tzib as she was allegedly shooting at Hyde.

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