Youth critical after Monday night shooting

The relatively short lull in gun violence in Belize City’s streets was broken Monday morning with the murder of twenty-four year old Robert Jones. Add to that the last night’s shooting of Leon Garcia and police’s worst fears for a resurgence of street warfare have been confirmed. As Marion Ali reports, while police could not say if the two incidents are linked, there is speculation that Garcia’s shooting might have been a case of mistaken identity.

Marion Ali, Reporting
At around ten o’clock on Monday night, twenty-three year old Leon Garcia was shot several times on Antelope Street, within close proximity of his home, by a lone gunman on a bicycle.

Marion Ali
“News Five understands that Garcia had just left his mother’s home behind the Belize City Centre and was headed towards his girlfriend’s home on Iguana Street. He had almost reached there—here on Antelope Street a gunman riding behind him caught up with him right in front of Kash Auto Body Repair and unleashed a barrage of bullets at very close range.”

A watchman, who was in the area, said the sound of the gunshots sent him scrambling out of harms way.

Voice of watchman
“All of a sudden there was this sudden burst of gunshots: bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. All the local residents in the area they just scattered here in these shacks and the next thing someone said there’s someone on the ground lying. There was this kid with his hands to his side who had gotten shot; a local resident of the neighbourhood.”

Marion Ali
“What you did when you heard the shot?”

Voice of Watchman
“when I heard the shots I tried getting down to the ground.”

And while police are now trying to get to the bottom of what triggered the shooting, Police Press Officer, Clement Palacio, says the Department has not ruled out the possibility that it might been linked to Monday morning’s murder of Robert Jones on Evergreen Street.

Clement Palacio, Police Press Officer
“I can tell you that the police are actively pursuing all leads in regards to persons that may have committed this shooting.”

But while police are not leaving any stones unturned, our own investigation reveals that the Leon Garcia who was shot last night might not have been the intended target. In July of 2006, police arrested and charged the deceased, Robert Jones, with attempted murder of one Leon Garcia, another man who carries the same name as today’s victim. The 2006 shooting occurred while the other Garcia was at his home on Castle Street with friends when someone fired at him from a passing car.

Marion Ali
“Ok but the Leon Garcia who now lies in the hospital with bullet wounds is not the same one who was charged two years ago with shooting Robert Jones right?”

Clement Palacio
“Well, I don’t want to assert any type of motive and since we are not certain of all the details of what did occur, again, I will the facts, the details to the investigators.”

But while investigators try to solve last night’s shooting, Garcia’s mother, Janet Anderson, is at loss.

Voice of Janet Anderson, Mother of Shooting Victim
“Why because I don’t know what is going on. I really and truly don’t know what it going on, honestly speaking. That is my biggest question, why?”

Marion Ali
“What is he telling you?”

Voice of Janet Anderson
“Nothing. He said didn’t even see who was coming or where the gunshot came from or anything.”

The shooting has left this mother coping with the crippling effects of the slow and painful road to recovery for her son.

Voice of Janet Anderson
“They shot my son. They had just shot my son and I get up and I went to the hospital. That was it right there. When I got there he was in a state; lot of holes in his side, on his feet, in his back. I am lost, don’t even know what to do anymore.”

Marion Ali
“I understand he was on his way home and he had almost reached home when this happened to him.”

Voice of Janet Anderson
“He was on his way to his girlfriend’s house, almost reach when that happened; right around the corner. That’s all I know. I don’t even know what else is going on.”

Marion Ali
“You know if he was in any dispute with anyone recently?”

Voice of Janet Anderson
“Not that I know of. I don’t know. Not that I know of.”

Marion Ali
“What are the doctors telling you?’

Voice of Janet Anderson
“They said that he has youth on his side so we mustn’t give up hope but we have a lot of rapture; lungs, ih liver, the intestines, everything is ruptured.”

Now although he needs to earn his keep, the watchman says last night’s shooting, coupled with previous violent incidents in the area, have shattered his hopes of a quiet and normal neighbourhood.

Voice of Watchman
“Well it’s a place where I’ve got to be present almost more or less almost twelve to twenty hours a day due to weh I have a job as a local watchman protecting a home for another.”

Marion Ali
“So this leaves you scared?”

Voice of Watchman
“Definitely, I’m terrified at how the way the crime situation is in this neighbourhood and the gang-banging.”

Police have not yet made any arrests in connection with the shooting of Garcia or the murder of Jones but are looking for a particular suspect who will remain unnamed in Jones’ murder. Marion Ali, for News Five.

Garcia remains in critical condition at the K.H.M.H.M.