There was an alarming upsurge in gun violence in the city on Thursday and Friday. A spate of shootings over an 18 hour period which started on Thursday night and carried over to Friday afternoon left two young men dead and several more injured.
The shootings drew public outrage on Friday afternoon when, in broad daylight on a busy street, 25-year-old David Vasquez was chased and then shot two times to the chest and another time to the neck. Vasquez died on the second floor verandah of Olympic Restaurant on Cemetery Road while his shooter who was unmasked simply jumped back on his bike and rode off, all this at the height of the midday rush, half a mile from the city's commercial centre. While there still hasn't been any arrests in that shooting, Officer Commanding the Crimes Investigations Branch in Belize City, Assistant Superintendent Chester Williams says they are closing in on a suspect.
ASP Chester Williams, Commander - CIB
"Quick response from the police again in terms of investigation has again given us evidence to suggest that we are looking for someone, who at this point in time I can only say could assist us in our investigation, and this person is one Edward Barahona. Again we also believe it is as a result of a previous understanding."
Jules Vasquez,
How about the shooting of Alvin Cumberbatch?
ASP Chester Williams,
"The shooting of Alvin Cumberbatch, we believe it is the same person who is responsible for the murder of David Vasquez, is also responsible for the shooting of Cumberbatch."
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