It was a broad daylight killing yesterday in the tiny southern village of Riversdale and a 61 year old was today charged for murder.
At about 4:15 yesterday afternoon, Riversdale resident David Gilbert Lopez was walking through the village with a shotgun. Lopez appeared drunk and said he wanted to settle a score with one of his drinking buddies who he claimed had stolen $700 from him just a few hours earlier.
He was chasing the man around a car when another friend, 34-year-old Honduran Alexis Giovanni Posadas tried to defuse a deadly situation by taking away the gun. But Lopez wouldn't give up so easily and the two struggled for the riffle when suddenly it went off, hitting Posadas at point blank range and killing him on the spot. An eyewitness spoke to roving video-man Kirk Yard and explained what happened.
Eyewitness,
"David came around with a gun. He was agitated and he said that someone had stolen all his money and I think he had a head full of alcohol. We were trying to help him find the person who was the thief of his money. Unprovoked, dude lowered the gun on Giovanni and shot him. He was agitated at Giovanni at the time or didn't seem like that. David had been pointing the gun at several different people and Giovanni walked up saying 'tranquilo tranquilo tranquilo' and we heard a shot go off and Giovanni was shot dead. There was no struggle whatsoever, Giovanni is or was friends with David and was just walking with his hands up saying 'tranquilo tranquilo.' I came out and ran to David saying drop the gun but he lowered the gun on Giovanni and shot him."
*'Tranquilo' is a Spanish word meaning 'Be Calm'
After the shooting villagers detained Lopez and held him until Dangriga police responded. He was today taken to court, charged with murder and remanded until May 26th.
Lopez had gotten the $700 as proceeds from selling his two dogs, and was celebrating his good fortune with some friends when the money was stolen. The victim, Giovanni Posadas was spending his last day in Riversdale, to return to Honduras today.