Last night we reported the bare fact on the shooting of 35 year old Shalonie Craig- an employee of Atlantic Bank - who was shot in her house at the corner of Iguana and Seagull Streets.
She was injured to the shoulder - but as we found out today - it could have been much worse; the bullet came very near to her heart.
It's the scariest thing that can happen to anyone - being shot in the safety of their own home - and we found out why in this case it is even scarier:..
Monica Bodden reporting
35 year old Shalonie Craig - an employee of Guardian Life Insurance - was standing inside her kitchen around 8 o'clock on Tuesday night - when a bullet came out of nowhere and pierced through her window and caught her in the left arm. The bullet penetrated through and through -shattering Craig's arm.
Craig who resides at the corner of Seagull and Iguana Streets heard the shots outside - but little did she know, a bullet was coming at her.
The bullet which came flying through her kitchen window, went through the walls of this sitting room and then exited through the other side of the wall, into the living room, where it fell on the ground.
Inside the house at the time was Craig's 93 year old grandmother Mrs. Evelyn Alford - who escaped the bullet.
The family says they heard at least 12 gunshots.
Voice of Kendra Henkis - Sister
"What had happened is that someone was shooting at someone running on the street and a stray bullet went into the house. She was in the kitchen and the bullet entered through the kitchen window and caught her on the left shoulder."
Marion Ali, reporter
"So it wasn't her that they were shooting after?"
Voice of Kendra Henkis - Sister
"It was someone who they were chasing on the street. It wasn't her."
Craig is listed at the KHMH in a stable condition, but her family says she is still experiencing a lot of pain.
Voice of Kendra Henkis - Sister
"Now she is stable but in a lot pain, she is coping with it. At this time the doctors are treating her with anti-biotic for the wound because it's a very large wound. It's an entrance and exit wound so they have to treat her with a lot of anti-biotic first before they do anything to the hand. Her hand is shattered in the shoulder and then its broken as well so right now it's just in a splinter, they will have to casting and stuff after."
Marion Ali, reporter
"That's the left hand?"
Voice of Kendra Henkis - Sister
"It's the left hand."
Marion Ali, reporter
"So no use of the left hand?"
Voice of Kendra Henkis - Sister
"No use of the left hand at this time."
Marion Ali, reporter
"What about surgery? Any surgery?"
Voice of Kendra Henkis - Sister
"The doctors are deciding what they will do concerning that."
Monica Bodden
"Have police detain anybody as yet for this?"
Voice of Kendra Henkis - Sister
"Well we don't know as yet. We don't hear anything from the police as yet."
For her family, Craig is lucky to be alive since the bullet was only a couple centimeters away from her heart. And for the police, the young woman was a victim of a cross fire that happened on the streets near her home.
Voice of Kendra Henkis - Sister
"We are taking it very serious. It already happened and whosoever did it we hope that they find the person."
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
"The investigators so far have discovered that it was a drive by shooting where a gold color car was involved. The occupants of that car opened fire somewhere in the vicinity of Iguana/Seagull Streets area and we believe that persons that they opened fire at also return fire at that vehicle. So we are not sure whether or not its cross-fire that caught Ms. Craig. Unfortunately she was in her home at the time and we are trying to find the culprits - the perpetrators of this crime."
Marion Ali, reporter
"What about the car? Have you been able to locate the car or its owner?"
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
"Not as yet. We are looking - because it's an unusual type of motor vehicle, so it would be easy for us to locate if it is still in Belize City. But at the same time we are working on a program where whenever vehicles are involved in these sort of crime I will try to send the message to you guys - the media houses and ask you all to put it out there so that with quick response people might spot t somewhere and call 911 or 922 anything of that sort and so we are trying to set up that program right now."
Monica Bodden
"How many expended shells were found on the scene?"
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
"In excess of 18."
Police say the intended target of Tuesday night's shooting is known to them and they are investigating.
