A double murder in a quiet Belize rural village...it hardly ever happens - and when it does, usually it's the result of some kind of domestic dispute, or crime of passion. But today, it looks like the urban style of retaliatory violence was at play when two innocent workers were killed execution style inside a store at the edge of Burrell Boom.
Jules Vasquez was first on the scene:
Matilda's Mini Mart, it's the last stop on your way out of Burrell Boom into the Belize River Valley.
Today a killer didn't care about the five security cameras, or the broad daylight on a road that can get busy at times, or the fact that the owner of the store lived right at the back, he just stormed in and released a barrage of gunfire on the two workers:
Supt. Alejandro Cowo - OC, CIB
"The police found large amount of extended shells inside the building."
Cashier Kendra Miguel and handyman Dennis Brown - two innocents - lay dead. The gunman then raced off on a motorcycle:
Supt. Alejandro Cowo
"Just about 1:40 police got a call that a shooting incident here in Burrell Boom. Upon police arrival they observed a male and a female, the female was behind the counter and the male was beside the wall. Both of them had apparent gunshot wounds to their bodies. We understand they were attending to a female when someone just came in and fired several shots at them causing the fatal injuries."
Jules Vasquez
"Was there any robbery element sir?"
Supt. Alejandro Cowo
"We have just verified and checked that we see 2 cash bag in there and apparently the money is still in the bag, so I don't believe robbery is a motive at this time."
Jules Vasquez
"So then it looks like an execution of some type."
Supt. Alejandro Cowo
"Well that is one of the angles that we are looking at this time."
A double execution that has ripped through the hearts of two families - neighbours who lost their loved ones in the vicious attack.
Kendra's little sister says she and her mother were at home when they heard the shots across the street:
Fernanda Miguel - Sister of Deceased
"I looked through my back window and I saw people were talking and they were running towards the shop, so I started to think that somebody got shot and then like a few minutes a lady and her son came to my house and they broke the news to us and told her that my sister got shot."
She remembers a big sister with dreams
Fernanda Miguel
"She was planning her whole future, she was planning to have a house and move out but like, how she worked, she had to get her money first so she can accomplish all of that."
Tonight police say the suspect is from the village - and there is the strong suggestion of retaliation for another village murder almost exactly two years ago.
Jules Vasquez
"This place has 5 security cameras at least that we've been able to see, is any footage on that useful to you all? Have you all reviewed anything?"
Supt. Alejandro Cojo
"If you noticed, we were dealing with the scene. Yes, we have seen the cameras that are inside of the business, hopefully the cameras are functioning well and let us see how it can assist us in this investigation."
Police believe the killing may have been a message to someone connected with the ownership of the store.
As you heard, the man suspect at the time is from Burrell Boom.
