Revenge appears to be motive for city shooting

Mark Gardiner is a name that is familiar to police, the media and by extension, the public. He’s one of a couple dozen “perpetual suspects”; a regular player in a culture of deadly violence that has become ingrained in an increasing number of Belize City neighbourhoods. Tonight Gardiner lies in critical condition at the K.H.M.H., where he is undergoing emergency surgery for a gunshot wound to the head. News Five’s Janelle Chanona reports from the scene of the crime.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
At approximately nine thirty this morning, twenty-six year old Mark Gardiner was shot once to the back of the head at the corner of Water Lane and East Canal. Eyewitnesses tell News Five that Gardiner was on his bicycle when another man approached him from behind, put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. The shooter is said to have fled the crime scene on bicycle.

Lyndon Gill, Restaurant Employee
?Some man said get him to the hospital quick. And two other man pretend deh doing something but this man really need help. Need to get this man to the hospital. This man couldn?t do nothing for himself. Couldn?t help himself.?

Tonight authorities believe the killer stalked Gardiner from his Racecourse Street home and then executed him.

Superintendent Chester Williams, O.C., C.I.B.
?From the way it happened, it is obvious that the person was following him because the person rode up from behind him. They were both riding separate bicycles in the same direction. The person rode up from behind him and upon him approaching the bridge. That is when the person took the opportunity and shot him behind the head. The entry wound is to the back of the head.?

Janelle Chanona
?Have you been able to determine what type of weapon was used this morning??

Chester Williams
?We have not been able to say basically what kind of calibre weapon was used in the shooting of Mark Gardiner this morning. But based on what we have discovered at the scene, there were no expended shells so as a result of that, we are contemplating that it may be a revolver type firearm that was used.?

The victim was rushed by ambulance to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Outside the emergency room, Robert Gardiner told the press that the last time he saw his son was this morning when he left him asleep in bed. At the time of the shooting, the elder Gardiner was at work…less than a block away from the spot where his son lay bleeding on the ground.

Robert ?Bob? Gardiner, Victim?s Father
?Well when the thing pass, the ambulance pass I seh deh shot somebody but I neva know who because I meh deh inna the store. And meanwhile I seh deh shot somebody, somebody come deh and seh, da one whe meh shot Batty. Well then I ask, then deh tell me da Batty da the bway whe deh me shot then I seh, oh lawd, dat da me son so I gawn and tell the boss, I gweng out, I gweng da hospital.?

As doctors worked to save the critically wounded man, his family speculated that today?s incident was in retaliation for a fatal shooting in March 2003, which claimed the life of twenty year old Gregory Batty during a high school football match at the M.C.C. grounds. Gardiner was tried twice for the crime, but never convicted.

Robert Gardiner
?They shot ah four times now. This one mek four times since they shot ah. He meh shot wah bway inna the thing but four ah deh meh deh beat ah. According to deh, he me kill Batty son. This thing comes from way back.?

But tonight the police say otherwise.

Janelle Chanona
?Initial investigations are showing motive of any kind??

Chester Williams
?At this point in time we have no particular motive. We are presently looking for one person in the name of Kareem Lopez, who we believe might be able to assist us in our investigations.?

Janelle Chanona
?Is that Roches or Lopez??

Chester Williams
?Lopez.?

Keith Swift, Channel 7 News
?Why do you believe he can assist in the investigation??

Chester Williams
?I am not going too in-depth into the reasons why I say so but as I said, we are looking for him, we believe he can assist in the investigation.?

Janelle Chanona
?Talk to us sir, a mid morning shooting like this. What do you say to city residents as far as their safety and the state of affairs regarding crime and violence??

Chester Williams
?I will not advise people to panic because something like this happened. We are living in a big city with a population of over eighty thousand people and things like this are bound to happen and this is not something that?s occurring every day. We cannot have the city crime free, but I can assure the public that the police have been doing our best in trying to contain the criminal activities, and we have been doing a good job of that thanks to the efforts and help of the community.?

Janelle Chanona
?What message would you send to other city youths about violence Mr. Gardiner??

Robert Gardiner
?Man I no have nothing to seh to these people because you seh, they just wah target you. And they no wah target me because the police won?t give you a blinging gun fu you go back and protect yourself. So if you no have a gun for protect yourself, how you wah protect yourself? Anybody could come and shoot you.?

In the aftermath of today?s violence, city residents called for an end to the bloodshed.

Joe Reid, Concerned Citizen
?It really deh get outta hand. They got to really do something bout it, really investigate it correct and really get culprits so we could put people like that offa the street, you know, whatever it tek.?

Lyndon Gill
?It no nice right now because people just deh do whatever and eh no deh work like that right now. Need fu hold that down period, serious thing.?

Alex Espinoza, Concerned Citizen
?I no feel safe at all mein because I?m out here same way and it could be me. Probably not involved inna no crime and thing but just a stray way bullet could ketch me same way and you know, I have my kids going to school and thing. Me being dah work and hear my kid get killed, dat da no way nice feeling at all. I feel like the government need fu do something fu stop this crime and they only way they could do it da fu do some henging and thing.?

Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.