And from that drowning in Cayo, we report now on last Thursday's shooting incident in Belize City which left 19-year-old Jaheed Baptist hospitalized at the KHMH.
At around 8 p.m., Baptist was walking on Neals Pen Road, and as soon as he arrived at an area near a basketball court, he was gunned down by one of 3 men in that area. It's one more flare up in an area with active gang rivalries. This morning, the police spokesperson shared a few details:
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood - Director of Communications, ComPol's Office
"Jaheed Baptist was walking on Penn Road heading toward Central American Boulevard. He said somewhere around the vicinity - a little after 8 o'clock. When he reached the area of a basketball court, he saw 3 young men standing together. One removed a firearm from his pants waist, opened fire at him, and he ran away but collapsed a little distance from them when he realized that he was shot in the back. He's saying that police arrived shortly thereafter and transported him to KHMH, where he's listed in a stable condition."
Reporter
"Any insight into what happened in terms of why he was targeted, sir?"
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood
"Well, so far, he hasn't listed anything to us, but we are trying to establish why. Of course, I believe - it is only a belief - that if he had any problems with anyone from that area, he wouldn't have been walking so comfortably on that street. He was even taken by surprise when one of the persons just took out a firearm upon seeing him. So, for us to establish that, we really need him to help us with that."
Baptist remains in a stable condition.
