2 tourists injured in accidental discharge of firearm

There were thousands of tourists today in the area of the Tourism Village when a pair of visitors narrowly escaped grave; they were wounded by the fragments of a nine millimeter round.  The incident occurred inside the Brown Sugar Mall shortly before ten o’clock.  A mother and her daughter were reportedly in the vicinity of the San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi terminal when a firearm, in the possession of a licensed owner, accidentally discharged.  The bullet, it is believed, ricocheted and grazed the women.  Belize City police were immediately called to the area where they observed the injured persons.  According to Superintendent Gualberto Garcia, the women were treated on site and subsequently released.

Supt. Gualberto Garcia, Commander, Precinct Three

“We got information at about nine-fifty this morning that shots were fired in this vicinity.  Police responded and after the investigation we found out that a Belizean male person, a gentleman, who is a licensed firearm holder, was exiting from the Brown Sugar Mall and this person had his firearm on his person, on his waist.  Upon exiting the compound, he adjusted his pants which caused his firearm to accidentally discharge.  As a result of the discharge, the bullet hit the floor and the pieces from the shrapnel hit some tourists that were immediately around him.  As a result of that, two persons were injured, two females, a mother and a daughter.”

Isani Cayetano

Gualberto Garcia

“Preliminarily, can you speak to us about the extent of their injuries?  Were they hit on the legs or certain parts of the body?”

Supt. Gualberto Garcia

“From what I observed, both injuries were on the legs.  According to the investigation they are superficial injuries.  [An] ambulance was called to the scene and they were here on site.  Persons were treated but as far as we are concerned the persons have refused to be transported to the K.H.M.H. so the treatment that they received, they then proceeded to go back into the compound.”

News Five has been informed that the women filed a formal report with Caye Caulker police.