Police: Raccoon Street Extension Murder Resulted from Shooting Minutes Earlier
Austin Williams
The weekend did not go by without street violence, as a young man was shot and killed sometime after eight on Sunday night in Belize City and police say that the motive was over a woman. The murder happened on Raccoon Street Extension and claimed the life of Austin Williams, who lived in the same area. Police believe that the homicide was the result of a shooting that had occurred just minutes before on Saint Thomas Street on the north side of the city and that the conflict in this case was over a woman. Police Commissioner shared the details that investigators have picked up so far and News Five’s Marion Ali filed this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Twenty-three-year-old Austin Williams lived only hours after he was shot sometime after eight on Sunday night on Raccoon Street Extension in Belize City. He had come under attack not far from where he lived, after having stopped briefly to offer a friend a birthday drink. News Five spoke to someone who was passing through at the time of the incident.
Voice of: Eyewitness
“Dehn bwai look like dehn gone buy something. I nuh really know weh dehn gone buy. Ih look like wa miss lady hail dehn cause da mi ih birthday or something like that. I nuh know weh happen after that. Dehn bally mi di come from the shop. And the moment dehn come from tru the lane dehn weh part dehn gone deh, the man come dehn and two ah dehn di walk. I nuh know weh gone on. One ah dehn run and the next one get it.”
Police Commissioner, Chester Williams indicated that the gunman alighted a vehicle that had just arrived and opened fire on the unsuspecting young man.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Police received information of shots fired on Raccoon Street Extension, Belize City. Again, upon arrival, the lifeless body of a male person was seen. That person exhibited gunshot injuries and was transported to the KHMH where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The information we gathered so far is that a vehicle passed by and stopped where the deceased was and fired – an occupant came out of the vehicle and fired shots that the deceased causing his fatal injury.”
Austin Williams died at the KHMH later in the night and investigators are seeking a suspect. Prior to the attack on him, Commissioner Williams said that there was a shooting just minutes earlier on St. Thomas Street that they believe triggered this one.
Chester Williams
“Police received information of shots fired in the area off St. Thomas Street. That’s in the Kings Park area of Belize City, in the vicinity of where one of these carnival groups was conducting their usual practice. Upon arrival at the location, police were given certain information and a scene was established but no one was injured. At this time, police are looking for one individual in respect to that particular shooting. We believe that the shooting on St. Thomas Street and the one on Raccoon Street may be connected.”
But what could have prompted two shootings within a few minutes of each other?
Chester Williams
“They both emanated from a woman issue. The suspect in these two shootings had an altercation just prior to the first shooting with his ex girlfriend that led to the first shooting and then subsequent to the second one. And the victim of the second shooting is the ex-boyfriend of the girl with whom the suspect had the altercation in the St Thomas Street area.”
Police have taken statements and are looking for the person they believe murdered Austin Williams. Marion Ali for News Five.
