Nicholi Rhys targeted on Prince Street

Nicholi Rhys

The murder of Jermaine Carr on Neal’s Pen Road was preceded by two other shooting incidents in Belize City on Wednesday evening. The first incident involved well-known George Street figure Nicholi Rhys, who was grazed in the head by a bullet when a lone assailant fired on him. Rhys was lucky to have escaped with grave injury, however, an eleven-year-old minor was also injured during the barrage of gunfire. Gladimir Avelar, a primary school student, was grazed on the left leg while standing inside his yard on King Street at the time of the shooting.  While they have both been treated and released from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, the attack on Rhys triggered an immediate reprisal elsewhere in the city.

ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Belize City

ASP Alejandro Cowo

“We had a total of three shootings where a total of five persons were injured, one being fatally wounded.  The first shooting happened last night, sometime after six p.m.  Nicholi Rhys was walking at the corner of Prince Street when he was approached by a male person who fired several shots in his direction, causing him to receive a gunshot wound to the top of the head.  Mr. Rhys was admitted at the hospital, treated and he was later discharged. I know that police on the scene retrieved several expended shells and also a point nine Glock pistol was recovered from the scene, along with an empty magazine. Also, whilst police were dealing with the scene they encountered a minor who had also received a graze to his leg, however, he was treated and he is presently at his home at this moment. We suspect that it is a retaliation of the previous shooting that had been happening within the city or within the same vicinity.  Yes, there are mobile patrols in almost all of those areas there.  George Street has a foot patrol and has a mobile patrol within that same area around there.  And also there are other mobile patrols within Wagner’s Lane, Taylor’s Alley and Conch Shell Bay that are covering that entire area so that we could at least stop what is happening at this moment.”

Reporter

“Mr. Rhys, was he the target from what you all know?”

ASP Alejandro Cowo

“Well he was the only person on the street at the moment, so we believe that it was him.”