City residents have all come to expect a certain sustained level of violent crime, but that aside, we also know that by and large those crimes happen mostly at night, in certain areas, and for specific reasons, mostly robberies, gang wars and so-called “old beefs.” But everything has changed after two completely lawless and unprecedented violent crimes this weekend. Ruthless criminals struck during carnival– at the height of the action in the heart of the celebrations, risking hundreds of lives, mostly families with their children. And that’s why tonight it seems that we are living in a different era, a terror era in a city whose confidence has been shaken more profoundly than ever before.
First, though, the good news: no one was killed but the very worrying news is that hundreds of Belizean lives could have been lost. As we said there are two life-threatening events; they happened at more or less the same time, but the first one that came to public attention was a shootout that happened near to hundreds of Belizeans, adults and children waiting to see the carnival. The second was the discovery of a grenade, its clip already removed, thrown in front of the hospital where again hundreds had gathered to watch the carnival.
We begin with the shooting, which police said was random, not planned. According to most accounts it started with a fight, and then went to pint-throwing. As Jacqueline Godwin found out, after that anarchy was loosed in a very crowded area.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
Public terror was let loose on Saturday afternoon at the height of carnival, right here at the junction of Princess Margaret Drive and University Drive as first pints were broken when a fight started and then there were gunshots. And after that many more gunshots which sent hundreds of spectators scrambling for cover.
Nina Reneau, Witness
“I just heard a lot of shots but I didn’t realize that that was gunshots until my daughter said, ‘mommy run,’ and she held my hands and the baby’s hands and we started to run and there was a lot of people running also so it was really frightening and that was during the carnival because the carnival was passing at the same time.”
At a police press conference today Prime Minister Dean Barrow expressed his deepest concern for the terror that was created at the scene.
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
“I know that people were traumatized in a situation like that where
of course there was not much room in which to manoeuvre and where people had to be have been terribly panicked by the multiple gunshots that were fired.”
Commander of Operations Crispin Jeffries says the shooting was an act of random violence and even though upward of one hundred police officers lined Princess Margaret drive for the road march it is difficult to predict and prevent crime like this.
Crispin Jeffries, Commander of Operations
“A number of persons ran off because they panicked. The loud music that was going at that material time prevented some from hearing it. When they recognized what was happening they too joined in. The crowds spilled off into Vasquez Avenue and police teams were seen in that area assisting. When we got the possibility to access the traffic route, vehicles were deployed in addition to those already on the scene to the area. Fortunate for us, by the time the police vehicle got there, the police were running through the mangroves pursing a male person seen fleeing with a firearm. That person, to this time, was not caught. A second male person was seen boarding a vehicle and we were surprised, and it is for the media to know, that there were some heroic members of the public who stood in the nearby area and fired back at those persons who were firing weapons at that time. So we saw something out there that was very chaotic.”
Nina Reneau,
“I ran until I felt like I was going out of breath and my daughter said, ‘no mommy you can’t stop, you got to keep going.’ And we ran until we got way behind West Landivar, almost in front of Teacher’s College.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
It must have been pretty scary because there were many many spectators out there watching the parade as it passed.
Nina Reneau,
“It was a lot of spectators and it was really scary and I think the most scary thing was that there was a lot of children. As a matter of fact when we got behind here there was a little boy who was only nine years old and he ran leaving his mommy, his sister, and everybody and when we saw him, we called him and asked him where his mother was and he didn’t know and so we hugged him and he was just crying and crying.”
Crispin Jeffries,
“There was nothing based on our intelligence to say that there was a recent shooting or any feud that would have indicated that this type of thing would have occurred.”
Nina Reneau,
“The carnival was really a bit of fun. I was enjoying myself, I went out there and it was a lot of hype and I think it comes to a stage when I think it has to stop. It has stop. The violence has to stop and people are worried, there is this celebration time when everybody should be celebrating and embracing each other when we’re scared, for me I don’t know if I want to go out and see carnival again. I don’t know if I want to go out and see the 10th parade, I don’t even know if I want to go out for 21st which is very sad because I think we’re taking people as hostage because then we don’t want to go anywhere, we want to stay in our homes.”
Reporting for 7NEWS, Jacqueline Godwin.
As we said no one was killed. One man was shot, he is 19 year old Harrison Haylock, who was hit in the right calf and left arm. Haylock was shot accidentally as police believe he was merely a bystander looking on. Police are looking for two suspects who they believe fired the first shots and started it all. As for the licensed gun owners who fired after that, arguable increasing the sense of chaos and disorder – police today praised them.
