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Man slain at birthday party was Plant City musician

MySpace photo

Shamir Garnelo, 21, was a member at Fountain of Life Church in Plant City and part of the youth group.

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By YOLANDA FERNANDEZ | News Channel 8

Published: November 2, 2009

Updated: 11/02/2009 06:10 pm

PLANT CITY - The music that normally streams from one small home on West Bates Street is silent.

The Garnelo brothers, all musicians who performed together, say it doesn't seem real that the youngest, Shamir, an aspiring disc jockey and rapper, was killed early Saturday morning.

"The music was his dream, and now I can't believe he's not here," said Denny Garnelo.

Shamir, 21, was killed at a teenage girl's birthday party in Holiday. He was the DJ at the party, which was at 1750 Arcadia Road in a building that American Legion Post 173 rents out for events.

Pasco County Sheriff's Office deputies aren't releasing how Garnelo died, but witnesses said he was stabbed in the neck.

"He was stabbed in the bathroom," partygoer Mangual Gabriel, 18, said to a News Channel 8 photographer Saturday. "All the walls were full of blood and fingerprints, like he tried to attack back but he couldn't."

Pasco deputies have not arrested anyone in connection with the crime.

Shamir was the youngest of five siblings from Mexico. He lived most of his life in Plant City, raised by his grandparents and father. His grandmother came home from hospital the day before Shamir's death and family members haven't yet told her the grim news.

He would accept job bookings as a DJ/rapper through his MySpace page. Shamir's brother said that's how he was booked for the birthday party. Denny said two friends went with Shamir, but he didn't know anyone else at the event.

Shamir's MySpace page, G-LO Productions, shows a tough-guy image, but he had another side to those who knew him. He was a member of the Fountain of Life Church in Plant City.

The Garnelo family joined the small Hispanic congregation when the church opened in 2001. Shamir, who also played drums, and his brothers would perform for the youth group.

"We loved him very much. He was a great kid from a wonderful, wonderful family." said Candy Diaz, worship leader at the church.

She said he stayed out of trouble.

"I've never known him to be involved with anything that has to do with drugs or drinking or anything like that," Diaz said. "He was always a people person just wanting to entertain and make everybody happy."

A records check shows that Garnelo did not have a criminal history in Hillsborough County.

Reporter Yolanda Fernandez can be reached at (813) 221-5708.

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