Local News

Residents of the North Side of Belize City were left shaken this afternoon after shots rang out in the area of West Landivar. 

With two murders occurring recently on the once peaceful north side, it seems like no side of Belize City is being spared of the wanton violence.  Love News understands that today’s episode began a few feet away from where the murder of Alfred Schakron occurred. 

Around 1:50 this afternoon three armed men entered Moon Shopping Center on Coney Drive, with the intention of robbing it.  The proprietors didn’t want to share in their experience, but we understand from a person who was nearby, that the employees were held to the back of the store while another, it is not clear if it was one of the owners, was forced to withdraw cash out of the register. 

The men made away with an undisclosed amount of cash, but their scheme didn’t end up as planned because the police was alerted and they quickly responded and detained one of the suspects.

Upon driving down on Coney Drive heading into the direction of Princess Margaret Drive in pursuit of the other two suspects, the suspect who was apprehended pushed the escorting officer from the pan of the moving vehicle and made a run for it. We were told by an eyewitness nearby, that the suspect was apprehended in front of Belize Elementary School by almost four police officers who had set chase behind him. 

Meanwhile the officer who was pushed out of the vehicle sustained head injuries and is presently in a stable condition, undergoing treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.  In the meantime, one of the students from Belize Elementary told us that the children had a horrifying moment when the shots were fired, because they had been outside preparing for their Halloween fair, when the teacher rushed them inside.  The student who was still somewhat shaken said that some of the students went down on the ground and others under their desks, and many of them were crying.  School officials declined comment on the matter.   

But the story doesn’t end here.  The two other suspects actually ran into the University of Belize’s Compound in West Landivar and hid from Police Officers, causing the University to be placed on temporary lock down.  Love News was told by a witness that the suspects were hiding in the nearby bushes and came out when they thought the police had left the scene, but their judgment didn’t serve them right because police were still in the compound.  While setting chase behind them once again, it is alleged that many shots were fired by police in the area, one witness says he heard as many as fifteen.  The two men were finally apprehended in the swamp behind the UB compound at 3:30pm. 

Reporting for Love News, I am Natalie Novelo.