Security Guard Clings to Life Following Shooting in Orange Walk

Bradford Hall

An Orange Walk resident is tonight clinging to life at the Northern Medical Specialist Plaza after he was shot multiple times this morning just outside of his house on Cuello Street in that northern municipality. Even as he was shot, Bradford Hall got into his pickup truck along with his son, but loss control of the vehicle several yards down the road and crashed head on into an SUV. Hall was rushed to the medical facility for what we are told were injuries to his neck and chest. News Five’s Duane Moody was in Orange Walk today and files this report.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Residents say fifty-two-year-old security guard Bradford Hall lives here on Cuello’s Street in Orange Walk Town for a little over a year. This morning, as he reportedly exited his fenced property, a gunman opened fire on him. Residents say as many as seven shots were fired, before the gunman jumped into a silver Sports Utility Vehicle that sped away from the area. That SUV, we are told, was parked in an overgrown lot across from the house where the gunman waylaid his victim.

Ladrick Sheppard

Ladrick Sheppard, Mayor, Orange Walk Town

“Something went wrong somewhere and especially in Orange Walk, we are not expecting these kinds of things to be happening.  Orange Walk is one of the most calmest towns; Orange Walk is one of the most fun town. Everybody comes to Orange Walk to relax and chill so when we hear these kinds of things happening, it raises an alarm that we must pay attention to what’s going on. And I need to get a report from the police on exactly what transpired.”

Hall is employed by the company that provides security services to the town hall and was at times stationed there so, Mayor Ladrick Sheppard says he knows the victim well.

Ladrick Sheppard

“I know the gentleman very good. He was employed but under a company, I don’t know which company, at the Orange Walk Town Council; he worked there for quite a while now, but I haven’t seen him worked. I’ve seen other guys going over there. But this is a cool gentleman. He’s very involved in sports, in basketball. He was talking to me about putting together an over thirty-five team or forty team to go represent Orange Walk in Belize City.”

News Five has not been able to confirm if Hall was shot in the presence of his son, but residents say that even as Hall was shot multiple times, he managed get into his Nissan pickup truck along with his minor son and drove up Cuello’s Street. He was bleeding profusely and it is believed that in that process, he lost consciousness and slammed head on into an SUV. Hall was rushed to the Northern Medical Specialist Plaza where he is currently in a critical condition. Mayor Sheppard says that the neighborhood is a quiet residential community.

Ladrick Sheppard

“We have the police officers on their game plan making sure that they go around making sure that residents are safe, especially in Orange Walk where they know when they come here, everything is cool. So that’s what is want to say to them, just be careful, you don’t know who is out there. Surely I am going to work with the police officer to have more officers to have more people going around, have more officers going around to check on what is happening in Orange Walk.”

Duane Moody for News Five.