Drinking Led to Gun Violence on Long Middle Caye

Joseph Myvett

Police say that two workers on Long Middle Caye were drinking when one shot the other. The incident happened in the early hours of Sunday morning when one of the workers allegedly took out a rifle that is not licensed to him and fired a shot that hit his co-worker in the chest. The injured man is recovering in the hospital and police have since arrested the shooter. They say that he is expected to be charged for the shooting, and also for using a firearm that isn’t licensed to him. The suspect didn’t give police a reason for the shooting.  They say that the investigation into the shooting is ongoing, but that the person to whom the rifle is licensed can also face charges depending on the outcome of that investigation. Here’s ACP Joseph Myvett with more about this shooting incident.

ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch

“Police visited the Radisson Fort George pier where the coast guard handed over to them two mal persons. The first person was Ricardo Mendoza, a fifty-seven-year-old Salvadoran watchman with apparent gunshot injury to the right chest. Also handed in to the police was the suspect, Jose Cortez forty-six-year-old Salvadoran. A rifle was also handed over to the police. What we know so far is that both persons work at the caye and they were socializing when some time shortly after ten p.m., Mendoza reported to police that Cortez went across to another building where he obtained a rifle and fired several shots outside. As a result, Mendoza then exited the building and went outside. He was followed by Cortez who then pointed the gun towards him and fired a single shot causing shot causing the said injury. Mendoza is in a stable condition and Cortez will later today be charged.”