Security guard shot to death for his gun
A large percentage of the many murders we chronicle in this newscast are the result of drug deals gone sour, drunken bar brawls, family feuds or jealous rages … all cases where the victim is somehow tied to the killer. But the homicide that occurred in Belize City earlier today was of a different variety: cold blooded, impersonal … and deeply disturbing.
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Twenty-eight year old K.B.H. security guard Fortunatus Chun had just left his common law wife and five year old daughter at home and reported to work at Belize Water Services Limited when shortly after six this morning he was shot and killed. Police believe Chun, who has been stationed at B.W.S.L. for two years, was about to enter the security booth when he was surprised by the gunman.
G. Michael Reid, Police Press Officer
?At this point it appears as if the individual might have come up upon him and just shot him at point blank range in the neck. The bullet went into the neck and exited.?
Chun was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital but died one hour later while undergoing treatment in the trauma unit. An emotional Claudia Pop says she still cannot believe that her husband is dead.
Claudia Pop, Common Law Wife
?When his brother came this morning he knocked my door then I watched outside and said oh dah you, and I open the door. He came in and sat in the sofa and he said my brother is dead, but I didn?t believe him. But when I saw him and he didn?t feel good and he is sit down. He like play see but when he said my brother dead fu tru, when I head that I hurry out my stove. I was cooking because my baby was going to go to school and then I hurry change my baby and I said let?s go baby ? let?s go see your daddy.?
But the mother and child never did get a chance to speak to their loved one before he passed away. Pop says they were looking forward to celebrating their only daughter?s sixth birthday on Sunday; instead they are now preparing to lay her father to rest. Pop says she still does not know why the shooter had to kill Chun.
Claudia Pop
?I cannot say nothing ma?am, I cannot tell you nothing because he just went to work in the morning. Only God knows what happened to him. I can?t say nothing.?
G. Michael Reid
?It?s of much concern because certainly when the security guards aren?t safe that leads to a serious problem.?
Police press officer G. Michael Reid says based on initial investigations, the authorities believe Chun was murdered for his loaded licensed nine millimetre pistol, the property of the security company.
G. Michael Reid
?At this point it would appear that robbery might have been the motive. The robbery was for the firearm of the security guard. It is an unfortunate situation.?
Jacqueline Godwin
?He was shot with his won gun??
G. Michael Reid
?No, we don?t think so. We believe that this was some other firearm that was used and after he was shot the individual took his gun. There were no expended shells of such which would indicate that it would be a thirty-eight or some such weapon. We are canvassing the area, we are trying to ask for help from the community and anyone who has seen anything is asked to please contact the police. The commissioner has tried to make it quite clear to the security guards in the city, those who carry gun in particular, that they have to be very careful and aware because these individuals try to get their hands on guns anyway they can.?
So far the police have no leads in the case and cannot say whether the shooter may have acted on his own. At the time of his murder, Fortunatus Chun had been a security guard for five years.
If you have any information that can assist the police in solving the murder of Fortunatus Chun call the nearest police station or Crime Stoppers at 0-800-922-8477. Meanwhile, the police say they will be strengthening security patrols during the Christmas season to curb the expected upsurge in crime.
