Homeowners’ Feud Leads to Near-Deadly Shooting
After eleven o’clock on Friday night, shots rang out on south side Belize City. A family on Iguana Street extension, including five minors, was targeted. Luckily, no one was injured, but the children have been left traumatized and the family fears that the gunman may return. News Five’s Duane Moody speaks with the mother, who recounts the scary ordeal. For the safety of the family, we will not disclose her identity.
Voice of: Homeowner
“Five minute after I come inside I hear like bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. So I dah like babe, dehn shot up our house. He dah like no dah noh yah. And I tell ahn yes dah yah.”
Duane Moody, Reporting
It was a most terrifying experience for a family of eight who lives on Iguana Street Extension. Just after eleven p.m., as they were retiring for the night, their house was targeted by a gunman. A police mobile patrolling the area responded shortly after to the shooting, but found no one in the area. The family’s worst fears were confirmed—and frighteningly so—two bullets penetrated through the wall to a bedroom occupied by two sleeping minors.
Voice of: Homeowner
“When the police come and gone dah back and see that dah back of the house; from the back dehn mi di shoot up from. Dah like ten hole dehn count, but two penetrate through and through the wall. That dah while my baby—my four year old and my thirteen year old—mi deh pan di bed di sleep.”
Duane Moody
“So they could have been shot?”
Voice of: Homeowner
“Right. But the first thing weh he do dah run ina di room and just heist up my baby, heist up she that dehn noh see no blood or whatever; that they okay and thank god that dehn noh get hurt.”
The family has been left traumatized by the incident, recalling the tragic case of eight-year-old Eyannie Nunez. Back in 2010, the All Saints primary school student was sleeping in her room on Zericote Street when she was killed by a bullet that penetrated the wall of her home. Or the 2011 case of Aaron Pope – a nine year old who was hit in the temple as he slept inside his room on New Year’s Eve and a bullet perforated a bedroom wall. According to the school warden, they had been receiving threats for some time now over ownership of the house.
Eyannie Nunez
Voice of: Homeowner
“To be honest, we mi di get threats and dah noh today we di get threats. But whenever we go to the police to make a report, dah like dehn dah like that dah noh wah direct threat. But the gunman prove to them Friday night that it was a direct threat to we. Threat dah wah threat; that dah how I take it. I dah wah school warden, I deh dah several school and the young man tell me plain he know weh school I deh. Now I get ah wah tarah school and now ih get and tell me bout how he know weh part I deh back ah King’s Park. So what that supposed to me? That means dehn di follow me.”
Duane Moody
“But why would they want to threaten your life and that of your kids. What’s happening?”
Aaron Pope
Voice of: Homeowner
“To be honest, due to this house. They have a conflict due to this house yah. They ker me dah court and I end up the win di case; apparently dehn noh happy about it. Now dehn send threat that if we noh move out, we wah get lead up or dehn wah burn down the house. And then my son and dehn had a conflict Monday weh gone right yah and they tell me to my face when I gwen dah work. [They] meet me on the boulevard and tell me my son face get target. Yes.”
Duane Moody
“So it’s a house issue and….”
Voice of: Homeowner
“And due to the fact that my son heng out with some young man; apparently dehn noh like that because they and the young man dehn have conflict.”
The family is now living in fear because it is believed that the gunman knew the area and targeted a specific room to the house before allegedly escaping through a nearby alley to the rear of the residence. They’re of the belief that the gunman will return and when he does, they might not be so lucky.
Voice of: Homeowner
“Sure dehn wah come back; they wah come back because come on ten times. Me, my gentleman, my two daughter, my son mi deh in there on Facebook, my lee baby mi deh ina and ten time? What if that mi ketch we then? Yo understand? Dah like eight ah we deh in yah and dah ten bullet?”
Duane Moody
“So what now? What next?”
Voice of: Homeowner
“I noh know weh fi say, honestly. I just ask di police dehn fi try…Weh we really need ina this neighborhood dah some light. Light because around yah so dark.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
