Leon Garcia Shot on Victoria Street

Leon Garcia

The shooting of Joel Seawell was followed by another this morning in Belize City when a bold attempt was made on the life of twenty-seven-year-old Leon Garcia as he made his way down Victoria Street.  Reports are that sometime before ten, a pair of men, described as wearing hooded sweatshirts, accosted Garcia and let loose a salvo of nine millimeter rounds at him.  Garcia, no stranger to the law, ran in the direction of Barrack Road, but was pursued on foot by his attackers.  Upon reaching the intersection with York Street, he dashed into a nearby alley where the duo, each reportedly armed with nine millimeter handguns, unloaded yet another spray of bullets.  This time, Garcia was hit once in the back before the men made good their escape.  According to residents in the area, the initial volley of shots was mistaken for firecrackers.  It was not until the construction worker was seen running down the street that they realized what has happening. When the shooting subsided Garcia was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he is listed in stable condition.  Today’s brazen attack was the second on Garcia’s life.  In July 2008, Garcia, then twenty-three-years-old was shot multiple times near his home on Antelope Street.  Then in February 2009, he was acquitted of the charges of robbery and handling stolen goods.  This morning, a resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said she had been noticing what she believed to be suspicious activity in the neighborhood since Thursday.  While a motive for the shooting is yet to be determined, no arrests have been made thus far.