One dead in Wednesday night shooting

Gunfire and gang violence appeared to be on hold for the past few weeks in Belize City, but it now appears that the brief calm has been shattered. And in an update to a breaking story Wednesday night on a shooting just before seven o’clock, it has just been confirmed that one person has died, he is Dillon Bennett. The other person, Akeem Gotoy is in critical condition. The two young men were shot at the corner of Central American Boulevard and Mahogany Street in what is feared to be gang related. According to reports, the two victims were in a parked car at the corner of the junction when a tinted Honda civic car approached them. A man got out of the vehicle and fired shots hitting twenty-two year old Bennett and nineteen year old, Gotoy, both of Belize City. Bennett has succumbed to a gunshot wound to the back of his head. Gotoy was wounded twice on the back. Police have recovered the getaway vehicle on Mayflower Street and are looking for two suspects.

And by midday today, a shoot out occurred on Central American Boulevard near Banak Street which is believed to be in retaliation to last night’s shooting. According to onlookers whose identities will not be revealed, a young man got out of a very dark-tinted small green car and opened fire on three men that were on bicycles. The targeted individuals scattered in different directions to escape the bullets and according to bystanders, the get-away vehicle which was parked at the corner of Banak Street sped off to Zericote Street to brace the shooter’s target. According to sources, the same vehicle drove off heading towards the cemetery in the direction of Partridge Street at the sound of the police sirens. Police believe that both incidents are gang related. No one was injured.