Two women are dead, one man is recovering from a gunshot, and the man believed to be responsible is dead after he turned the gun on himself. That is the death toll left after one of the most deadly, almost unthinkable, murder-suicides ever to have occurred in Belize.
During the early Saturday morning market rush on West Collet Canal rush, KBH security guard David Contreras went looking for 21 year old Myra Cunil at her tacos stand in front of the Novelo's bus terminal with murder on his mind. Minutes later three people were dead including the shooter and that's where Keith Swift picks up the story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
7NEWS was first on the scene for the chaotic aftermath of Saturday morning’s shooting spree near the Central Market. The Police and BDF kept the crowd at bay on the bridge but there was no escaping the tragedy of this Saturday morning as there was the pool of blood which marked the spot and one by one our camera traced the trail of expended bullets shells. That trail led to the victims: taco vendors 21 year old Myra Cunil and 45-year-old Blanca Nunez, and Taxi man Gustavo Ayala. All this was caused by KBH Security Guard David Contreras who then turned the gun on himself.
So why did an apparently sane security guard dressed in his uniform go crazy? Well the speculation is that his first victim, Myra, was the object of his affection and when his advances were turned down, that’s when her best friend Veronica Lopez says it became an obsession.
Veronica Lopez, Victim’s Best Friend
“He went and told her he would kill her but she didn’t believe. She didn’t believe he would have killed her and now she is dead.”
KS: You told me earlier that he also threatened you.
Veronica Lopez,
“He told Thursday morning that he was going to kill me. He had the gun on him but he didn’t do it. I don’t know why but he told me he was going to kill me.”
KS: _Were him and Myra dating? In a relationship?
Veronica Lopez,
“No.”
KS: _So he liked Myra?
Veronica Lopez,
“Yes he liked her. I don’t know where he met her.”
KS: _So he used to go look for her at the taco stand?
Veronica Lopez,
“Yes and he went there and told her he would kill her. Myra didn’t like him and so he told her he would kill her.”
KS: _Did Myra take these threats seriously?
Veronica Lopez,
“She told me that he told her he would kill her and he even sent it on a paper which someone.”
And most who know Contreras says he made those threats publicly. In fact taxi men at the Novelo’s hub say they were given fair warning.
George Caseres, Taxi man
“And the man told me definitely one of these days I will pass by Novelo’s and I have a 9 millimeter with 90 rounds he said and when I pass by Novelo’s I want all of you taxi drivers to get in because I will just shoot up like crazy. He said Indian and me will be the first ones and then the rest.”
Theodore “Teddy Bear” Figueroa, Taxi man
“He said one of these days I will come out here and I hope you are not out here. Right so the man tell me.”
But even those who heard the threats couldn’t have expected Saturday’s mayhem. Theodore “Teddy Bear” Figueroa greeted Contreras mere seconds before he committed murder and then suicide.
Theodore “Teddy Bear” Figueroa,
“I was exactly where I am right now I was drinking a cup of coffee when the gentleman came from the Pound Yard bridge direction and he walked up to me and looked up in my face and said ‘whe dih go ahn teddy bear?’ and about 4 or 5 seconds after he walked past I heard two shots fired. So I ran and I hid beside my car and then I heard maybe 6 or 7 more. And it went quiet and I got up to look and see if I could see what happened and by the time I got up and peeped a little I heard some more shots firing so I went back down and maybe 30 seconds later I got up and heard people saying ‘It’s the security, ih shoot the lady.’”
KS: You said you saw Mr. Contreras approaching, did he look like he was going to do something like this?
Theodore “Teddy Bear” Figueroa,
“Negative, nothing strange. He was so calm. He was very cool.”
KS: _Did he have his gun in his hand?
Theodore “Teddy Bear” Figueroa,
“He didn’t have it in his hand. I don’t know if he had it on him because I didn’t see it but I am certain he didn’t have it in his hand. He took it out when he got here.”
KS: _Was he in his security uniform?
Theodore “Teddy Bear” Figueroa,
“Yes he was fully dressed in his security uniform and he even had his ID pinned on his pocket.”
KS: _You said you’ve known him for a while, you ever thought David would do something like this?
Theodore “Teddy Bear” Figueroa,
“Never. I would never expect for Mr. Contreras to have done something like that.”
KS: And you ran for cover when you heard the shots?
Theodore “Teddy Bear” Figueroa,
“Definitely.”
But Blanca Nunez who was an innocent bystander couldn’t escape the madman’s fury or his bullets. Her death is perhaps the most tragic because on Saturday morning the 45-year-old Salvadoran and mother of 2 was simply doing what she has been doing for the past 10 years at that same spot - selling tacos. Her common-law husband of 20 years Elio Grajalez was on the scene cleaning up her belongings and today is still grappling with the tragedy.
Elio Grajalez, Victim’s Spouse
“I just…I couldn’t take it. I didn’t believe that my wife was on the ground. I started to try to speak to her. I tried to ask her to tell me at least one word and look at me but…I am still lost.”
KS: _Are you angry? Is the family angry that the man who did this has eluded justice?
Elio Grajalez,
“We can’t take anything against anybody because the person that did it was the one that decided what to do.”
It’s a decision one single man, David Contreras, made which has left three families in turmoil and now Saturday morning at the market may never be the same.
Myra Cunil who is from Guatemala leaves behind a 3 year old son. Cunil has been working at that tacos stand for about 7 months while as we mentioned the other victim Blanca Nunez has been at it for 10 years. Blanca Nunez has two grown daughters.
7NEWS did catch up with the injured taxi man Gustavo Ayala who would only say that he was injured only on his side and was released from the hospital this morning. As for the shooter, not much is known about him other than his age, he was employed by KBH security service, and that he has served time in jail. A KBH representative had no comment this evening. 7NEWS has confirmed that gun used was Contreras' service pistol.