Cayo man shot dead in Bz. City but motive unclear

By any measure, it was a horrible crime, with one man dead and another badly injured after they were shot while driving in their car. But as dangerous a place Belize City can be, what happened to the Naj brothers last night–at least according to the survivor’s account–does not resemble any recent murder that police or journalists can recall. Jacqueline Woods reports.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting

Today when police opened the car door, they found blood stains on the two front seats and bullet holes to the back side of the vehicle. The police say they are investigating to see exactly what transpired in the shooting of Angel Naj and Alex Naj on Tuesday night. Twenty year old Angel says he and his brother, both taxi drivers of Arenal Village near the Guatemalan border, were in Belize City to look for a car. Later in the evening they stopped to eat at a restaurant, and about 8:30 that night decided to leave for home. But Angel, who was driving, says as they were rode on Cemetery Road seven dark complexioned men came from behind the vehicle, shouted at them and then opened fire.

Angel Naj, Shooting Victim

“I was not going fast, I was going slow. I was not going quick I was not going quick and when I pass them then they look on me and tell me Spanish boy and then shoot me.”

Angel’s brother Alex, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, was shot in the neck and back and died en route to the hospital. Angel, who received a bullet wound to his back, says when the men fired at them his brother told him to drive fast and he managed to reach K.H.M.H. Edelmira Naj says she does not know why anyone would want to harm her brothers.

Edelmira Naj, Sister

“Well I don’t know, our family is very sad right now. My father, my mother they don’t know what to do, what to think with this problem that has happened to my brothers.”

Jacqueline Woods

“Many people might think it is strange that people would just approach them and open fire. As far as the family know, they were not involved anything to have someone approached them or try to attack them?”

Edelmira Naj

“No, I think nobody.”

But police believe there is more to the story and say they are thoroughly investigating Angel’s accounts of what took place. Reports are that Naj has not been consistent in his story and has told police he is not sure where the incident took place because it is the first time that he has been to Belize City. Reporting for News 5, Jacqueline Woods.