Police Charge Teenager for Shooting of Two Women

Devon Tariq Lopez

Was the near-fatal Monday night assault of a pregnant teen and her mother reprisal for a weekend murder in Hattieville?  According to police, the shooting of eighteen-year-old Shenell Rolland and forty-one-year-old Stephanie Smith is directly related to the murder of Cleon ‘Tush’ Smith who was shot and killed in Hattieville on Sunday night.  While the mother and daughter, who is six months with child, were not the intended targets of the vicious attack, they were struck by bullets during the chaos on Monday night near Rogers Stadium.  In the wake of the attack, Rolland has been treated for injuries received to her abdomen and leg and has since been released from the K.H.M.H.   Incredibly, her unborn child is safe and sound.  However, the same cannot be said for Smith who remains hospitalized following the removal of a slug from her abdomen.  Meanwhile, police have arrested and charged nineteen-year-old Devon Tariq Lopez with six counts stemming from that incident.  Senior Superintendent Chester Williams says that Lopez’s accomplice remains at large.

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams, Regional Commander, Eastern Division South

“The shooting on Dolphin Street, we are investigating it and we have arrested one person; one Devon Lopez, who is from the Ghost Town area….the Ellis Meighan faction. He has been charged with two counts of attempted murder amongst other varying degree of crime. And from what our investigation is telling us is that it is a direct retaliation in respect of the shooting death of Tush in Hattieville. And so we are looking at that angle to see if there are other persons involved. We know for a fact that there is another young man involved, but we were not able to get any witness to put him on the spot. So as a result of that we were not able to press charge against the other person.”

Chester Williams

Reporter

“Sir, in the first police report, you had Tyrone Meighan and three other minors detained. Any connection with them at all?”

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams

“Well the only connection is that the person who is charged is an associate of Tyrone Meighan; he hangs out in the Meighan’s yard. But from our investigation it does not suggest that Tyrone Meighan was a part of the shooting, but we are still doing our investigation to see if there was any degree of conspiracy or abetment as the case may be where they are concerned.”

Reporter

“So you are looking for one other person in connection with this shooting?”

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams

“We have the person in custody but we are unable to proceed with charges because of the fact that we do not have the evidence to proceed against that other individual.”

At around ten o’clock this morning, Lopez appeared unrepresented before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith where he was read six counts of attempted murder, dangerous harm and deadly means of harm against Shenell Rolland and her mother.  Devon Lopez has been remanded to the Belize Central Prison until February twenty-sixth.