Belize: Two men killed in linked shootings in Ladyville within 13 minutes

Belize: Two men were shot and killed in two separate but related incidents on Sunday evening, January 25, at Joe Lewis Road, Ladyville in Belize, prompting police investigation and raising concern about the safety in the community. 

The victims have been identified as 26-year-old Shakeem Ferguson, a labour and 29-year-old Elroy Bainton, a construction worker. Both of them were the residents of Ladyville, confirmed the police.

According to eyewitnesses, the first incident took place around 5 32 pm at Joe Lewis Road when the victim Shakeem Ferguson had just come back home from his shop. He was reportedly attacked by the armed assailants who arrived in a SUV and shot him multiple times. 

Moments after the incident, a bystander contacted the Ladyville Police and reported the same, where on arrival the officers discovered the body of the victim lying on the ground with apparent gunshot wounds on his body. 

The police officials immediately rushed him to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), where he was pronounced dead on arrival, but his brother Akeem who was with the victim at the time of the incident and who sustained injuries during the attack was treated and released.  

The people who witnessed the incident told the officers that they saw two SUVs leaving the area after the incident happened. 

While the officers were dealing with this case, they received a second report around 5:45 p.m., about another shooting incident on Yellowtail Street, just 13 minutes after the first incident. 

Reacting to which the officers arrived at the place of the incident at Jew Apartment Complex where they discovered the body of the victim Elroy Bainton who was also shot multiple times, due to which he was also rushed to the KHMH but succumbed to his injuries.  

The initial reports of this incident states that the victim Elroy was standing outside the apartment complex when an armed man who was wearing a mask, approached him and opened fire at him, shooting him multiple times. 

In response the victim fled into the nearby yard to save himself but lost consciousness and fell on the ground while the suspect left the scene. 

Since then the officers launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident to know the exact cause of the death of both the victims. The bodies of both the victims were also transported to the KHMH morgue for post-mortem examinations. 

Authorities reported that officers including Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Hilberto Romero of the National Crime Investigation Branch, believe that their murder must be linked as they both died on the same day in the same manner. 

Investigators believe that they both were targeted by the same assailants as earlier on the day of the incident both the victims were seen together socialising with each other and after some time they both left for their work. 

Hilberto Romero in a statement said that “we believe that this might be a drug related incident which led to the death of both the individuals. Maybe the suspects had seen them talking to each other and when they were on their way, the suspects must have followed them and shot them.”  

Lastly the officers stated that the investigation into the matter is ongoing while urging anyone with information to contact the officers or visit their nearest police station to report.