Early on Sunday morning when three gunmen strode into the Wabinaha bar in Hopkins - it created a scene of unthinkable public terror in a tiny and peaceful village. Imagine, scores of patrons - having a good time on a long weekend, suddenly trapped inside a bar and club with no emergency exit, dashing for cover as gunmen stood at the entrance - which is also the only exit - emptying out their pistols.
Yes, indiscriminate gunmen stoke fear in almost every community; yes, so many towns and villages have known murderous violence - but an indiscriminate mass shooting - how could it happen in Hopkins? That's what everybody is asking and Courtney Menzies went down south for answers:
Courtney Menzies:
Two men dead, three police officers shot and five civilians - including a fifteen year old girl - are left injured after Belize's first mass shooting.
It was Sunday morning in one of the last places you'd expect an incident of this magnitude - the small, normally peaceful village of Hopkins.
But the festive atmosphere of Hopkins Day was shattered when three men kicked open these doors here at Wabinaha Nightclub and began shooting into the crowd - they stood at the entrance firing, while the trapped patrons could only scramble desperately for their lives.
And, as the village - and the rest of country - begin to come to terms with the kind of violence residents typically only see on TV, the families of the victims are asking why.
So, we travelled down south to find out more about the terrifying and traumatic events of that night.
And according to the Commissioner on Police, who has been on the ground since Sunday, the shooting began with the suspects' unsolicited advances towards the first victim, 23-year-old Noah Moro's girlfriend.
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"He was there along with his girlfriend. They were socializing at the nightclub like other patrons were. These men, the accused men, approached the young lady that Moro was with and began to court her. She was not paying them any mind, and she told them she was with someone. The guy Moro came and inquired what was taking place, and there was an altercation, an argument between the two sides. The suspects left briefly and came back into the nightclub by stomping the door open, opened fire first at Moro and then indiscriminately in the nightclub, hitting the other person who died and eight other persons, including three policemen. Following that, they left the nightclub and got into two vehicles. And so that we believe the motive based on eyewitnesses account is due to the woman who was with Mr. Moro at the particular time at the nightclub."
And the suspects raced off, leaving behind two innocent dead men whose families say were justing trying to enjoy their weekend.
Courtney Menzies:
"You know, people are saying that he was protecting his girlfriend, do you know him to be a protector like that?"
Voice of: Arlene Moro, Sister of Deceased
"That I would agree with and I even told her that Noah died being your hero. I mentioned that to her so I do agree with that statement. He was not a trouble person, he's not a trouble person whatsoever. He was the most loving individual and we had a close bond, unbreakable bond so he wasn't a trouble person. Actually he went down to Hopkins given that he and his girlfriend were together for ten years and they wanted to take a trip, a little mini vacation. He wasn't a frequent traveler but it was somewhere that they always wanted to go."
But his young life was cut short in that moment, his dreams of helping people dashed in a second. Still, his sister says though his life was short, it was full of ambition and memories.
Voice of: Arlene Moro, Sister of Deceased
"His last job because he recently resigned from Western Regional where he was an attendant there and of course he was also pursuing an Associate's Degree in Primary Education so that there in itself made us bond more since I am in the education field as well. And like what I told my mom, she can be comforted with the life that he lived."
"He loved his family, he loved his nieces and nephews unconditionally. He was firm with them yet loving. And of course he loved football, I remember when he went to Costa Rica."
Courtney Menzies:
"And so his dream was to become a teacher to help young children."
Voice of: Arlene Moro, Sister of Deceased
"Yes he wanted to be a teacher and as well he wanted to pursue criminal justice. We try to be comforted by the biblical truth and nonetheless we are grateful to have spent a wonderful 23 years with him. Like I said, the life he lived speaks for itself and we are just grateful to have been a part of that."
And just like Moro, the other victim, 56-year-old Emilio Garcia, died protecting the other patrons in the club. According to his family, he was trying to close the club's doors, when he stumbled over a body and the gunman shot him dead on the ground. And this father left about 20 children and a host of grandchildren behind. And it was one of his sons that told us that his father died a hero.
Candido Garcia, Son of Deceased
"I wasn't here but I know my pa wouldn't just stand and watch a lot of people get shot. And this is a family club, this is a family club because we are the family too. And the way how things gone off, I am hearing a lot of explanation, they told me the guy just came in a start buss shots like he wild. Yeah he buss shots like he wild because he brought down my father too. But my father didn't just drop just like that. If they didn't do what they were supposed to do, how many other people would have died? How many other people would have gotten hurt at the same time? My pa definitely die as a hero, definitely, Emilio Garcia that."
"Because that's my next half. And the biggest thing that hurt me, that's the biggest puzzle out of my life, like right now, nothing matters me. I wanted to come to Hopkins that night so bad, but the people they left me, I don't know if they didn't reach, all this creation and everything that's happening, it makes no sense to me because my pa is not a trouble man. Next thing, it's not like they don't know my pa, everybody know my pa, my pa go from here and there. Everybody knows Emilio, Emilio is not a trouble man."
In fact, Garcia spent his life working alongside his brother doing community service in the village. His brother, Marlon Flores, explained that he wasn't surprised that Garcia was killed while trying to save lives.
Marlon Flores, Brother of Deceased
"He's a father figure to me, growing up my pa commit suicide. That's my best friend, he's an adviser whenever I have problems, we go talk. And for them to chance him out of his life, I don't see it where there's any replacement because I know that knowing him, he gonna do whatever to save lives. It's a sad moment that I wasn't out here to help him save lives because what happened is a disrespect for the whole world, for the whole country, for the whole village, for the whole community because at the end, I don't understand what in these guys' mentality to go, you have an enemy in a club, and you shoot everybody else to get this enemy. That's [terrorism], they are terrorists."
And according to Flores, Garcia could be called on, day or night, no matter what.
Marlon Flores, Brother of Deceased
"And I tell them, I make them know, you all hurt somebody that was helping to save lives. One thing with death, you don't invite it, it just shows up. But its the stupid people that created it got me going through this. And we're going to go through it, we're going to go through it, because one thing, the general is going to go up with honors. Because everybody in this community know you can call on Emilio any time."
So, two protectors gunned down - one well-known father and one young man full of dreams - taken from their families without warning.
And now while these families grieve, they anxiously await the outcome of the investigation.
We note that this is not the first or worst mass shooting in Belize's history; that would be in 2008 at the Putt Putt Bar and Grill, when two men opened fire on the bar. 14 people were shot, and one killed.
