Police Intercept 12-Year-Old with Loaded Gun

And while the shootings were rampant on Sunday night in Belize City, earlier that same day, police nabbed a twelve-year-old child with a loaded gun. The interception happened on Malcolm Street, off Freedom Street, in the Port Loyola area.  Police say when the minor saw the stop and search police mobile on patrol he threw away the knapsack in which the gun was stashed. Regional Commander of Eastern Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero, said that investigators have gathered that the minor was taking the weapon to someone. So far, police have been in communication with the child’s parents and the Social Services Department.

Hilberto Romero

A.C.P Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“Police personnel were patrolling on Malcolm Street when the attention was drawn to a male person with a knapsack who was riding a bicycle. Upon the male person seeing the police, he threw the knapsack down and tried to flee from the area. He was pursued. The police apprehended him and brought him back to where the knapsack was thrown. Upon inspection of the knapsack, police found a 9mm pistol along with six live rungs. The male person was taken into custody and brought to the station pending charges. He is a minor and we are getting the social department, along with the Justice of the Peace, to conduct an interview to determine where he got this firearm. The information we’re getting, he was taking the firearm to somebody.”

Marion Ali

“These are incidents that the stop and search teams usually intercept, right?”

A.C.P Hilberto Romero

“Yes, that is correct. We have an aggressive stop and search in these areas, so that is what led to a police following this person.”