Murder in Belmopan; Deceased was Not the Intended Target
Brodam Santos
Two murders were recorded in approximately six hours – one in Belize City and the other in Belmopan. We’ll have official details from the execution of Steven Moss later, but we begin tonight’s newscast with the shooting death of Brodam Santos in the Cohune Walk area of the capital. The thirty-year-old was shot multiple times after a gunman on a motorcycle pulled up and opened fire in his direction. Santos was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Brodam Santos was at home, sitting on the tailgate of his pickup truck socializing with two friends when a pair of men came up. A shotgun was produced and used to end his life. He was hit multiple times to the back and bullet holes from the pellets can be seen on an SUV parked in the yard. The blasts shattered the quiet of the night on Lime Street in the Cohune Walk area of Belmopan.
Voice of: Resident
Voice of: Resident
“Like around 8:30 or so, I just heard two gunshots. Well it sounded like backfire from a motorcycle and that’s it. And then I just heard the motorcycle just like revving and then just went. I just went out to check, see what’s happening and then I see a guy laying on the ground and that’s what happened. As I turned off the lights, just two gunshots and that’s it. And then I opened the window and then I saw him there. Saw two guys holding their heads like what happened; they were shocked as well. And then they called out, I think, his wife since she was inside the house. So they called her out and they were surprised that he got shot.”
Police arrived on the scene minutes after the shooting and the ambulance about another fifteen minutes later. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams confirmed that a motorcycle was used in the crime.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Investigation so far revealed that the male individual was socializing along with two other persons on the back of his vehicle in front of his home when two gunmen came on a motorcycle and one of them fired shots at him with a shotgun, causing the fatal injuries. Police are still in that area canvassing to see what information can be obtained with a view to ascertain a motive in respect to this homicide.”
ComPol Williams says that the deceased is not known to police – he was a law-abiding citizen – but suspects that one of the persons he was socializing with was the intended target. That childhood friend may have cost him his life.
Chester Williams
“One of the male persons he was socializing with is well known to police and is known within the Belmopan and Roaring Creek area as one of those troublemakers and so we believe that that other person may have been the intended target and not the person who was actually killed.”
Duane Moody
“Sir was that other person a suspect in the Imari Galvez murder?”
Chester Williams
“No, he was not, no.”
Duane Moody
“Has that individual been brought in for questioning to find out if he would have known who these attackers were or anything relating to this matter?”
Steven Moss
Chester Williams
“Yes, he has been interviewed by the police and no useful information was obtained from him. And we did expect that he would not provide anything useful to the police investigation. Nonetheless, we are going to see what can be done to obtain information to be able to forward the investigation. From what we gathered, they have been childhood friends; they went to school together, everything together so they knew each other quite well. And they would normally hang out as they did last night. It just so happens that last night was the unfortunate night where he was eventually killed.”
But is the incident linked to the recent detention of the intended target’s brother who was caught with a forty-calibre firearm?
Chester Williams
“On Saturday, police did intercept the brother of the same individual with a prohibited firearm, a forty-calibre pistol. And he was arrested and charged for keeping a prohibited firearm and ammunition. In interviews conducted with him, he had stated to police that he had the firearm because he knows that he is being sought by others to be killed so that is why he had it. So perhaps yes they could be some link to that person who was caught with the firearm and the incident last night.”
The Cohune Walk area of Belmopan is primarily residential and the incident has the neighbourhood shaken.
Voice of: Resident
“It is really surprising that something happened here because it is really quiet. I really like this environment and it is surprising that it happened and right close as well. I wasn’t expecting that. We are actually planning to put cameras now. It is already up there, but just need the cameras to be installed. I don’t know it is frightening so I need cameras.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
