Teenaged bystander injured in city shooting

The sound of gunshots echoed across a Belize City neighbourhood last night and when nervous residents emerged from their homes, they found a teenaged bystander fighting for life. News Five’s Jacqueline Godwin reports.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Tonight fourteen year old Joshua Palacio lies in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Palacio, a recent graduate of St. Luke’s Methodist Primary School, was on his way home on Neal Penn Road when he was in shot by a lone unmasked gunman. Subsequent investigations reveal the young man was an innocent bystander as the bullet was meant for twenty-four year old Frank Vasquez. During the incident, Vasquez was struck on the left side of his buttocks. The young man admits he has a troubled past but says he doesn’t know if he was shot because of an old misunderstanding.

Frank Vasquez, Shooting Victim
“Last night when I mi di ride go home, when I reached in front of my house and parked my bike and approached my old lady shop, when I look up the street I see a male person in a white shirt di fire shot after me ina my direction. But by the time I think about move, it mi done too late cause when he bust the three shots, the fourth one ketch me and I dropped in the drain and I crawl gone ina my house. I peep back out fi see if the gunman di come in my direction, but when I peeped back out I see one of my next lee homeboy di run up the street di grab his chest and bawl that he get shot.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“You recognise the young man?”

Frank Vasquez
(Shakes head, yes) “He know himself, I know ah because he simple, he noh put on no mask.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“No reason why? You guys never get into an argument long time ago? Nothing at all?”

Frank Vasquez
(Shakes head, no) “I noh know why the boy come shot me. I give up the trouble life long time. I noh know if dah old beef they shot me for or what, but I can’t say.”

According to the Palacio family, Joshua has gunshot wounds to his lungs and liver and is in a lot of pain. Tonight he is listed in a critical condition. As for the intended victim, Vasquez? Doctors say he is expected to fully recover.

Frank Vasquez
“Well I will just leave it in the police hands and let them do what they have to do, because this da lone simpleness. I done get shot already and now I get shot again.”

Jacqueline Godwin for News Five.

Police say they have detained one man for questioning in connection with Thursday night’s shooting.