First Chinese Grocer Murdered in Old Capital in 4 Years

Bainan Wu

Police are not providing details on the deadly shooting of a Chinese grocer in Belize City. Shortly before eight o’clock on Monday night, a robbery attempt turned fatal for Bainan Wu, the store owner of Xi He Ii Store located at the corner of Vernon Street and Santa Barbara Streets. Wu was inside his shop when he was attacked by a gunman who attempted to rob him and in the process, shot and killed him. Today, the Chinese Association is grieving the execution-style murder of one of their own, who they say mostly kept to his own.  News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A Chinese grocer who has been living in Belize City for the past twenty years was shot and killed on Monday night during a botched robbery.  The incident took place here at the corners of Vernon and Santa Barbara streets.  Fifty-eight-year-old Bainan Wu was inside his place of business when he was accosted by an unknown assailant.  During the attempt to relieve him of money, Wu was fatally injured.  Edmund Kwan is the chairperson for the local Chinese association.

Edmund Kwan

Edmund Kwan, Chairman, Belize Chinese Association

“Around 7:45 last night, that’s Monday night, an attempted robbery, apparently, happened at Vernon Street at Xi He Li Store, where the owner of the shop is shot in the head and right now he has passed away.  He succumbed to injuries.”

It is unclear what transpired.  What is known is that Wu was shot once to the left side of the temple and rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for emergency medical treatment, but he did not make it.

Isani Cayetano

“What are police saying insofar as the investigation?  I know it’s a preliminary aspect of the inquiry, but what are they saying so far?”

Edmund Kwan

“They haven’t disclosed anything [as] yet to us.  They’re still investigating.”

Reporter

“Tell us what you know specifically on Mr. Wu and his business operation here in Belize.”

Edmund Kwan

“He has been in Belize for quite some time, close to twenty years.  He kept very much to himself.  We don’t really know much about him.  He stayed in his little shop and he did his everyday business and it so happened that tragedy came to his doorsteps.”

It’s the first murder of an Asian shopkeeper in Belize City in at least two years.  The foiled robbery comes on the heels of a stickup over the weekend during which thieves made off with an undisclosed sum of money from Arwing Grocery.  Both businesses are located on Santa Barbara Street in proximity of each other.  The senseless attack has raised serious concerns within the Chinese community.

Edmund Kwan

“We are very concerned about the situation.  We’re asking the police to please conduct a thorough investigation into this matter and we hope that the person that did this horrible act gets charged and, you know, let the law take its [course].”

Isani Cayetano

“This, as far as my understanding, is the second incident within a few days in that general vicinity.  Arwing was similarly robbed over the weekend.  Can you speak to us of either measures that will be taken by members of the community to beef up their own personal security in their businesses?”

Edmund Kwan

“Definitely.  We will be advising all Chinese businesses to be on the alert because two robberies in that close time, especially in that location, in that area, we will tell them to be vigilant.  Look [out] for new faces or suspicious people or things like that.  But, you know, we will ask them to do their necessary jobs.”

According to Kwan, Wu’s wife had only just left Belize for vacation in her home country when tragedy befell the family.

Edmund Kwan

“The shop was run by him and his wife.  His wife had just went on vacation to China, but then she has already made arrangements to come back.  I think probably she’s on the way already to deal with the situation.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.