Well-known B&B Employee Sean Menzies is Shot and Killed
Sean Menzies
Three persons were murdered within twenty-four hours as Belizeans celebrated Garifuna Settlement Day. Two men were cold bloodedly killed in the south and one in Belize City. The madness started on Wednesday night here in the city where a well-known employee of Bowen and Bowen was gunned down as he smoked a cigarette on Lancaster Street. Sean Menzies worked at Bowen and Bowen for more than four decades; his life was cut short in front of his own yard. Family, friends and coworkers are trying to come to terms with the loss. But was Menzies the intended target? News Five’s Isani Cayetano has the following report.
John Palacio, Friend/PR Coordinator, B&B
“He had a lot of catchphrases and I could tell you one off the bat, “Hog heaven and monkey glory” simply means that, you know, we’re having a good time. That’s one of the things that stuck with us.”
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
By all accounts, fifty-seven-year-old Sean Menzies was often the life of the party, an everyman who worked as hard as he played. Having spent the last forty-one years of his life as an employee of Bowen and Bowen, he was well-known and loved by everyone. Menzies, or Burgee, as he was also known, was one of the many faces of the company; there for the annual Spelling Bee competitions, present for the billiards and dominoes tournaments and always around during Sir Barry’s Belikin Fest. His loss is felt by everyone, more so because he did not die of natural causes.
John Palacio
John Palacio
“Sean touched lives. I can go as personal as to say that my starting at Bowen and Bowen, Sean was a, he was a part of that, you know. We had conversations prior to me coming here and prior to those conversations when I got here, Sean greeted me and told me, “I told you that it was going to work.” Great conversations [and] learned a lot, I mean so much so that Sean could look at a vehicle and tell you exactly how much soft drinks or beers could fit within that and what the cost of it is. After forty-one years of being part of a company such as this one, who wouldn’t be able to.”
On Wednesday night, shortly after eleven o’clock, Menzies stood in front of his yard on Lancaster Street to smoke a cigarette. It would be his last draw. Two men approached him and fired multiple rounds in his direction for reasons yet unknown.
Alejandro Cowo
Supt. Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Eastern Division
“Just before midnight, Mr. Sean Menzies, fifty-seven-year’s old of a Lancaster Street address had just arrived at his residence after attending a social event. Upon his arrival he decided to smoke a cigarette in front of his residence and whilst doing so, two male persons came and fired shots in his direction which caused him his death.”
In front of B&B’s corporate headquarters this morning, a black bow adorns the building. It’s work as usual, but many we spoke with casually still cannot believe that Menzies is gone. They just saw him two days ago and were discussing botched November nineteenth plans. For them, he was the embodiment of the true Bowen and Bowen employee.
John Palacio
“It’s like you’d want to say that it was bestowed upon him but he actually developed that by himself because what he did was that he represented this country in every nooks and crannies of this country with the brand and with everything possible that says B&B. Sean did that. That is what he did. So for us, knowing that he was part of this team, knowing that he touched our lives, we are so proud to say that at least we knew him.”
Police are looking for two suspects, including a student of a Fern Lane address in connection with the deadly shooting.
ASP Alejandro Cowo
“Police so far have detained several persons who are in custody and are being interviewed at this moment.”
Reporter
“I know he wasn’t the target so do you have an idea of why he was shot?”
ASP Alejandro Cowo
“We are trying to establish a motive and we cannot tell you at this time if he was the target or not. He was the only person there at the time, so we are communicating with family members to determine if he had had any other previous misunderstanding or any other dispute with any other persons that might have led to this unfortunate incident. So we are still puzzled as to why him and if he was the target or not.”
Sean Menzies
Reporter
“Could this have been a random act of violence?”
ASP Alejandro Cowo
“Well we are looking at all the information that’s out there and we are following all the leads.”
Menzies is fondly remembered by his colleagues as more than just a friend.
John Palacio
“He was a family man, he was a friend, he was a comedian, a hard worker, a hard B&B worker. For sure there are countless people across this country who can share similar memories like I’m sharing with you. He had a gift for making people around him feel comfortable. There were times when we did the Belikin calendar and you have to pick up the girls and you have to take them around. Comfort, everybody would say, following that, I want to thank Sean because Sean made us feel as comfortable as possible.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
