The shooting of a pair of Chinese business owners may not have raised many eyebrows when it was first announced on our Wednesday night newscast. And that’s probably because when a Chinese business owner is shot, it’s usually a robbery and a Belizean criminal is the one being sought. But what makes last evening’s shooting different is that the man pulling the trigger was allegedly a fellow Chinese businessman.
That’s right, forty one year old Yong Sheng Zhang of number sixteen Queen Charlotte Street was taken over to Magistrate Court today where he was arraigned on the charges of two counts of attempted murder, two counts of dangerous harm and two counts of use of deadly means of harm.
Today in court Zhang who was represented by his attorney Ellis Arnold appeared in courtroom number two before Magistrate Dorothy Flowers. He was assisted by a translator but denied bail and no plea was taken. He was then remanded to Hattieville Prison until his next court appearance on April twenty ninth.
According to police it has been difficult to determine exactly what led to the shooting because police say the victims have not been co-operating and none of the parties speak English. The victims are 42 year old Cheong Chi Chan and his wife 42 year old Ivy Chan.
Initial investigation reveals that around five on Wednesday evening Zhang went to the Chan’s establishment, Belize Aluminium and Glass Limited at mile three on the Northern Highway. Reports are that shortly after he entered the property an argument started and that’s when Zhang pulled out his nine millimetre pistol from out of the pocket on the right side of his jacket and fired three shots at Ivy and Chan.
While the husband was shot to the left side of his abdomen, the wife received injuries to the right side of her abdomen and lower back. Both were rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and had emergency surgery. They remain in a serious condition.
