Grenade thrown in front of women and children; it did not explode
The St. Martin’s community was thrown into panic early on Tuesday night as the urban warfare intensified in the Old Capital. The area was cordoned off, residents were evacuated, the police top brass were deployed and the bomb expert was flown in from San Pedro. An unidentified man hurled a grenade at no less than a group of women and children and in close range of many others who live at a nearby barracks. A major catastrophe was averted because the explosive device did not activate; it is believed it is one from a batch stolen from the BATSUB. No one has been arrested, but a person of interest is under question. News Five’s Jose Sanchez went back to the scene today and has this report.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Police were called to the corner of Moya and Flamboyant Street in St. Martin De Porres Area on Tuesday night where a man on a bicycle rode up and threw a grenade into a crowd of women and children. Luckily the grenade did not detonate. Harrington Gray lives near what could have been ground zero.
Harrington Gray
Harrington Gray, Flamboyant Street Resident
“I’m most concerned about the neighborhood, safety of the children and thing cause that is sometihng out of proportion.”
Jose Sanchez
“You live very close to where the grenade landed; you were actually in the kill zone.”
Harrington Gray
“Yes unknowingly, I would have gotten killed and I wouldn’t have known this was happening. So fortunately it didn’t go off. So it saved a lot of people. Even though I was close, this house was still in close proximity and this lady children and bedroom deh closer to the grenade. So they mi wah also suffer.”
Jose Sanchez
“And then there were people who were also in the yard across the street from you—women and kids.”
Harrington Gray
“Yes, every night everybody congregates as normal, you know. We don’t have no gang situation back here. We have a number of youths, they grow up, they get big, dah right yah they hang out. So we noh necessarily we have any gang.”
Fitzroy Yearwood
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
“The residents were immediately evacuated from their homes. We cordoned off the area and first, Lieutenant Harris arrived from the B.D.F. who assured us the pin was intact for the grenade and it posed as no serious threat. And we just waited for the expert in the person of Colonel David Jones who arrived on the scene around 10:45.”
With the assistance of BATSUB, Lieutenant Colonel David Jones, B.D.F.’s Chief of Staff and resident bomb expert was flown in from San Pedro to remove the fragment grenade.
David Jones
Lt. Col. David Jones, B.D.F. Bomb Expert/Chief of Staff
“Someone definitely threw it because the safety clip was on Lavender Street which was about forty [to] fifty meters away from where the grenade was and the safety clip would have to come off before you can throw the grenade. So I recovered the safety clip afterwards. And the distance of where the safety clip was and the grenade was about fifty meters or so.”
Jose Sanchez
“It malfunctioned?”
Lt. Col. David Jones
“The grenade did not function as intended. The safety clip was removed, the safety pin was removed, the grenade was thrown, thankfully, the grenade didn’t function as intended. I will not give any more information on that as it would explain to the fellas what they could have done properly, but the grenade didn’t function as it should thankfully.”
Jose Sanchez
“There is speculation that it came from the batch that went missing from BATSUB.”
Lt. Col. David Jones
“It is very likely that it is one of the same twenty-four grenades that went missing from BATSUB. It is the same type of grenade; it is the L109A1 fragmentation grenade. The batch number could not have been read from the body of the grenade because it was severely corroded. We couldn’t read the markings from it. The grenade was in a terrible state. However, the grenade on the ground at the time was in a dangerous state. So someone who would have picked it up, kicked it, moved it or if an animal would have passed and disturbed it, the grenade would have functioned as intended—the grenade is live, it is still good and it could have worked.”
Jose Sanchez
“Have you been able to establish who were the intended targets?”
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood
“Well Jose, there were some females and children sitting at the corner of Flamboyant and Moya Street when this grenade was thrown. We are not certain if they were the intended target but fortunately for us it didn’t go off and no one as hurt.”
Jose Sanchez
“Are residents of that street affiliated with any gang or group?”
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood
“Well the persons that were seated in that area; not to our knowledge—females and children.”
Lt. Col. David Jones
“A grenade is a weapon that would be used suddenly. In the instance of that type of grenade, you have only three to four seconds after it’s thrown. Shortly after that grenade is thrown, it’s going to detonate and if the civilians are not aware of what it is, they will not have time to react. If they do have time to react, it’s best for them to get flat on the ground—try not to get most of the blast or the fragments that do come from the grenade. For myself, it was a risky thing to do because the grenade was in a dangerous situation. The device was there and only a slight move or turn, the grenade could have function while I was there or while I picked it up. But I was trained to do such thing so it was not a problem for me.”
Jose Sanchez
“The kill zone itself around the grenade, how far is it?”
Lt. Col. David Jones
“The lethal radius of such grenade is about fifteen meters from where it would have landed. But people could get injured up to about two hundred, two hundred and fifty meters—the fragments would fly and hit someone.”
Assuming the grenade came from the 2004 batch of twenty four that went missing from BATSUB, seven grenades are now accounted for. Seventeen are still on the streets or buried in yards.
Harrington Gray
“We have like September coming up and all dehn things coming up where congregation of crowd deh. So that makes you concern and feel fearful.”
Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
The grenade will be destroyed at Baldy Beacon by the BDF. There are have been two grenade explosions that turned fatal, one on Kraal Road on December twenty-eighth, 2009 and the other was on May sixteenth 2008 on Mayflower Street. Two minors were killed. Three other grenades exploded in the streets of the Old Capital, but no one was injured; on November fourteenth, 2008 on Fabers Road, at the home of the Comptroller of Customs David Gibson of March fourth, 2009 and on Caesar Ridge Road on January twelfth, 2010.
My goodness what kinda world are we living in!!!!! What is this when our women and children are being targeted by these animals, sorry but that’s all i can call them animals!!!!! These people feel no remorse no pain they live like animals, I think it’s time to bring in international help to combat the crime rate in the country. I believe we need help ladies and gentlemen!
There are some really sick, demented, sadistic people living in Belize. Someone did mention that the area is not gang related, yet a demented person tried to kill an entire block consisting of women and children. If it was not gang related was it revenge (old beef).
There are more grenade still unaccounted for, the scariest part of that is it they are in the hands of demented animals looking for a fight with anyone.
What are the police doing to help this situation?
this also would have been this gov fault how can they have people stealing arms and grenades from the bdf and no one knows who or how this just goes to show the incompetense of this gov. even the military cannot control their people but i cannot blame them because this is what happens when there is no leadership. key word leadership it does not exist in this gov.
Where was the Grenade Suppression Unit at the time of this incident?
It is obvious that these cowardly rats are just doing random attacks on innocent people in retaliation for what the gang suppression unit is doing but why wait to cordone off a neighborhood after the fact, why don’t do it where you know these rats live of course if the police department has any intelligence at all they would know where they live so they can lock down these areas no one in, no one out. Remember, My Legacy B 4 My People.
Iraq in Belize… all we need is suicide bombers and we will be golden. Not even Hatians act like this.
What i want to know is what is Britain doing about this problem that they contributed to. They are allowed to conduct their training in our country and with that privilige comes responsibility. NOw that they have allowed (whether intentionally or through negligence) these grenade make its way on the streets, they should be offering assistance (even if just financial) to get them off the street.
Instead they just sit aroudn and say “sorry”
Sydney
@Crazy… “Not even Hatians act like this.” – ignorant statement.
The Grown Sensible Belizean Citizens should now act with vigilance by reporting any criminal activities to the police being it from they saw their nephew burying a firearm in the yard their brother in law selling or distributing of drugs. Belize is ours and no foreign country has a say for we are gonna be doing what is right GROW THE !**% BELIZE…nuff said
I agree with crazy
What a !*%&#&G COWARD! What kind of man throws a grenade at people? Women and children? Belizeans? Shoot this guy on sight! No prison farm, no trial, no Dickie Bradley defense team, no crooked judges, just shoot him dead. Sweep the gang areas and put the BDF on every corner. Operation Jaguar need to be every day. We need checkpoints with car searches. The GOV need to seize properties of these guys to sell off at auction. Pay for the increased policing with the sale of these guys possessions. Many got nothing but some got plenty. Sell of the house, the car, the tools, everything. Tv, radio,cell phone, Everything. What a !*%&#@G low life! Sorry but this got to stop! How they get grenades? Such recklessness should be condemned and someone held accountable. Now we got !*%^&#$G grenades being thrown at women and children!
Robbers made off with an undisclosed amount of cash and jewellery from a Pawn Shop in Corozal Town. The sales clerk reported to Police that on Tuesday she was returning from lunch when as she approached the main door of the shop she was approached by a Creole descent man who placed a firearm to her side and demanded that she open the door. The woman said she complied and upon entering the building a second man entered and ordered her to lie on the floor where they duck taped her legs, hands and mouth. She later managed to remove the tape from her mouth and called the police. Police continue their investigations.
George Street Gang Members now LIVING in Corozal Town LOOK OUT Coro
Belama Police Station still close down!!!!!!!!!! reports are that Jamaica, San Salvador and Rio have been able to reduce their crime rate. why can’t we see what they did right and start doing something. Are we to sit and wait for the next 20 grenades to be thrown..
is KHMH ready to deal with some 40-50 trauma victims all at once!!
THIS IS DISGUSTING, I AM SO UPSET WITH ALL THESE CRIMES NOW WE HAVE A BIN LADEN AMONG US, DO THIS MAN REALIZE HOW MANY INNOCENT PERSONS WOULD HAVE DIED, HAVE THE GRENADE EXPLODED.
I THINK PRIME MINISTER DEAN BARROW SHOULD START TO INVESTIGATE MINISTERS OF THE GOVERNMENT IN POWER IN 2004, CAN’T BELIEVE THAT UNDER THEIR WATCH SO MANY GRENADES WENT MISSING FROM THE BDF, HELL NO WAY I AM VOTING PUP AGAIN, CAUSE ITS UNDER THEIR WATCH THAT THESE GRENADE WENT MISSING, AND NOW BEING USED TO MAYBE BRING DOWN ANY GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY. HELL NO NO NO WAY!! IT IS HARD FOR ME TO COMPREHEND AND SWALLOW WHY THEIR IS MUCH HATRED AMONG OUR PEOPLE. AS A LAW ABIDING CITIZEN LIVING IN THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY FOR OVER 60 YEARS I HAVE NEVER WITNESS SO MUCH HATRED, SEEMS PEOPLE ARE SELLING THEIR SOUL TO THE DEVIL FOR MONEY, CAUSE I AM SURE THE YOUNG MAN THAT THROW THE GRENADE RECEIVED QUIET A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO DO HIS DIRTY WORK. MEIN THIS IS TERRIBLE, TERIBBLE!!
yes I strongly agree that the government of 2004 should answer now for what is taking place, how come they didn’t even tried to find who stole all those grenade, imagine years after it is being use on the innocent people, really sad, the same ministers we trusted in 2004, now trying to get back to use HMMM, I wonder why?
I LOVE MY COUNTRY BELIZE SO MUCH THAT EVEN IF SOMEONE OFFER ME ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO THROW THAT GRENADE ON OUR PEOPLE, I WOULD RATHER THROW RIGHT BACK TO THE PERSON WHO OFFER ME THE MONEY.
WORTHLESS MEN
I say somebody needs to question the government of 2004, because it is under their watch that the grenades dissapear, and appearing now, all this is well organize crime planned from 2004 against our brethens and sistas !!!
fool di tak but dah no di listen, dat dah weh smokey joe would say!!!
Maybe no one has explained the life cycle to most of these young men. I have no doubt that many of them who are committing these crimes are being protected by their worthless mothers & they fail to realize that if we kill the women & children, we become extinct. While I was in Belize I heard a caller complaining about the Police searching a home in his neighborhood, his complaint was not focused on the reasons, he complained because he could not see the officers faces. When asked where he was calling from…….. Plues Street. Can we stop the BS parents, if you know where your good for nothing child & his cohorts hid the bloody grenades, RAT THEM OUT.
it is time to get to the bottom of this mess. Look at what President Obama did, let us do the same thing, go into George street and other gang areas and kill them out. This have to be done so I will volunteer to help with one condition which is complete immunity for taking those want to be Bel laden out.
Deh need fi start heng dende madaeffas once deh ketch dem!
First of all let me say Jah bless for the guidance that he had provide for these woman and children with that been said we do not have a BIN LADEN amongst us OK Bin Ladin was not a coward he fought for what he believed in and that was for the injustice of the people of of Afghanistan, so don`t ever believe the hype,the whole community needs to take action in there own hands and stop relying on the GOB to do something or everything, remember the PEOPLE are the Government the people wholes the power to change anything that they want to, SO LETS JOIN HANDS AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE FEATURE OF OR COUNTRY BELIZE……..Jah Bless!
BIGGSEXXY: YOU ARE WRONG, BIN LADEN WAS A COWARD AND A MISERABLE COWARD OK, A REAL MAN WITH ….. DON’T KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE, OK ESPECIALLY CLOSE TO THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE IN ONE DAY OK,
YES I AGREE WITH YOU THAT WHOLE COMMUNITY NEED TO WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THE GOVERNMENT TO STOP ALL THESE VIOLENCE, THE CHANGES STARTS INDIVIDUALLY OK, IF I CHOOSE TO BE PEACEFUL WE WILL HAVE PEACE, IF I CHOOSE TO BE VIOLENT THEN WE WILL LIVE IN VIOLENCE, ITS STARTS WITH US.
Biggsexxy: I agree with you family.
BIn Laden did to his Muslim brothers & sisters, the same thing many of our leaders have done to us. Used their privileged upbringing to get the attention they needed to gain enough power to manipulate the ignorant into killing themselves & others for whatever reasons. How many young Muslim brothers gave their lives only to find that the 72 virgins they were expecting turned out to be other horny young men while their leader lived in luxury with his share of women, not waiting for his reward . Please remember why the fruit vendor in Tunisia set himself on fire. He is a better example of a true martyr..
Thank you fromafar for checking crazy that was an ignorant statement. Remember, My Legacy B 4 My People.
Ok guys lets get the story straight the grenades were stolen from BATSUB not the BDF repeat BATSUB that is the British army installation in Belize and yes I believe that they should assist in recovering these grenades since it was due to their negligence that the were stolen. Remember, My Legacy B 4 My People
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT ALL THESE YOUNG MEN COMMITTING CRIMES JUST NEEDS A LOT OF GUIDANCE. SOME ONE TO HELP THEM ESPECIALLY THE BLACK YOUNG MEN FOR 95% OF THE TIME ITS THEM YOU C ON THE NEWS OR HEAR ABOUT ONE RADIO DOING CRIMES ”ANOTHER BLACK MAN” WE NEED TO START @ THE PRESCHOOL LEVEL AN START TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN NOT TO LIVE IN HATH BUT IN LOVE FOR EACH OTHER .AND IN LOVE FOR HUMANITY TO LIVE PEACEFULLY AMONG EACH OTHER NO MATTER WAT COLOUR U R. WE NEEED TO START LIVIN LIKE THE OLD DAYS WHERE IN THAT TIME THE MEN PLAYED A BIG PART IN THE RAISING OF THEIR CHILDREN BUT IN THIS TIME RYTE NOW WE HAVE LITTLE OR NO FATHER LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY FOR ITS A MAN TO RAISE A MAN NOT A WOMAN AND RYTE NOW IN BELIZE ITS THE WOMEN RAISING THE MEN AN THEY CANNOT CONTROL THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO FATHER FIGURE AROUND THEM TO TEACH AND SET EXAMPLE FOR THEM THAT I JUST AN IDEA OF WAT IS TO BE REALLY SAID.
@ Stephen I agree with you. The Land of Belize need to be cleansed. Too many crimes have happened over the years and most ending in cold cases. If the GOB refuses to take serious actions to save this nation; if they continue to turn a blind eye to the crime situation we are facing while we die out one by one, then we the Belizean people have to rise up and deal with the situation. None of us are safe. Not even in our own homes. Look at this family. Who could have told them they were so close to death?
The truth is that if we don’t get the criminals first, then they will get us and our family. To all the blogger, don’t think for a minute that it’s not that bad because you havent been directly affected yet. It’s possible, highly possible, that you will be the next one to be on channel five’s newscast with your story.
We have to team up and kill out these criminals and if the GOB don’t do something they Mek them step down because we put them there to help us but they aren’t. And if they don’t want to step down we must take them out! Count me in.