Rodrick Burns Charged With Attempted Murder in Belmopan Shooting

The Burns family, already grieving the traffic death of 21-year-old Jermaine Nolan Burns Junior, is facing further pressure as several relatives have become caught up in a separate criminal case.  Today, police formally arrested and charged 25-year-old labourer Rodrick Anthony Burns with attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm and dangerous harm in connection with the shooting.  Jaheim Thomas was shot in Belmopan on September 7 and remains in critical condition at the Western Regional Hospital. Police Staff Officer, Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith, outlined what investigators established.

ASP Stacy Smith, Belize Police Department: “Police are investigating a shooting incident which resulted in the injury of Jaheim Thomas, 26 years of age, of Roaring Creek Village. The investigation commenced on Monday, 7 September at around 8 o’clock p.m. when officers were called to a residence in Las Flores Belmopan because of a dispute. Jaheim Thomas was injured during the course of police’s response to the incident and at this time he is hospitalized in a stable condition. Thus far the investigators have not established who fired the shot that injured Mr. Thomas since the investigation has so far indicated that both a licensed firearm holder who was involved in the dispute and a police officer may have discharged their weapons. Both weapons have been seized and packaged and will be submitted for comparative analysis. Both internal and criminal investigations have commenced.” 

Thomas’s sister, Tamayia Neal, told Love News that the situation reached a boiling point following a series of disputes within the family.  Her 12-minute interview included several serious allegations against other family members. Love News has excluded those claims because no supporting evidence was presented and the persons accused were not given an opportunity to respond.