Alleged gunman charged in diplomatic shooting
Mark Anthony Jones, the young man accused of shooting up a Guatemalan Embassy vehicle, was formally arraigned today, having confirmed that he is indeed seventeen years old. That puts his case behind the closed doors of the Family Court, where we are informed that a total of eleven charges were read. These include three counts of attempted murder against the Toyota Prado’s occupants, namely chargĂ© d’affaires Fernando Molina, driver Melvin Martinez and passenger Rene Caceres. Jones was also charged with three counts of use of deadly means of harm and three counts of aggravated assault against the same trio. He was also hit with a single count of damage to property for shooting out the Prado’s back window as well as a charge of wounding in connection with injuries suffered by Caceres.
The Embassy S.U.V., with diplomatic plates, was parked on Pelican Street on Monday evening when two men approached it, one opening fire. No motive has been presented for the shooting, which took place while the ambassador was out of the country. Jones has been remanded until August fifteenth.