Belize shooting at Da Buzz Lounge leaves woman dead, two injured; suspect arrested

Belize: A shooting incident occurred at Da Buzz Restaurant & Lounge on the Philip Goldson Highway in Belize, on Thursday evening, May 7, has left one woman dead and two others injured. Authorities have arrested one suspect linked to the shooting and are inquiring further about the further matter. 

The deceased victim has been identified as 34-year-old Salma Raquel Orellana Funez, a bartender and mother of three from Vista Del Mar, Ladyville. While the injured victims have been identified as 26-year-old Shayanta Williams of Ladyville and 32-year-old Cardova Neal, of Frederick Street. Both the females work as employees. 

According to police reports, the incident took place on Thursday, at around 6:30 p.m., when a male suspect entered the lounge and approached the female victim Orellana Funez, who was seated at the bar. Upon approaching her, he talked to her for a while before leaving to use the restroom. 

After a brief time, he returned back from the washroom and pulled out a firearm and opened fire at Orellana Funez’s direction striking her several times. But he did not stop here and then turned towards the other two female employees inside the lounge and shot them also before escaping the scene in an unknown direction.

Police officers who were contacted at the scene on arrival discovered the motionless body of Salma on the floor and further search led to the discovery of two other females following which the officers quickly transported them to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. 

On arrival at the hospital, all the three victims were transferred into the emergency room and initially treated but despite the medical efforts of the doctors, Orellana succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at 9:16 p.m., by the doctors.

Meanwhile the other injured victims were treated and are in stable condition. The dead body of Funez was transferred to KHMH morgue where a post-mortem examination will be conducted to determine the exact cause of her death.

Since then the officers have launched their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and visited the scene where they canvassed the area to gather evidence including spent shells. 

During the initial investigation, the officers located and arrested a 16-year-old male from Lord's Bank in connection with the incident and then took him into custody where they interrogated him during which he confessed his crime. The officers later charged him with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder.