2022's 110th murder happened last night in Belmopan.
One man is dead and two others severely injured after a shooting in the Maya Mopan area.
It happened at about 7:30 yesterday evening when the report of gunshots echoed across a usually peaceful, rural part of the city.
I was chasing the violent chain of events this morning and here's what I found out.
43-year-old Michael Williams was hanging out at this mechanic shop last night when he and the man who lived here were targeted by a gunman. But they weren't the only ones. Two more victims were shot on an adjacent street and this morning police have said that the incident may have been drug-related.
Williams, seen here at his hangout spot making a pot of chicken sometime before he was killed was not known to be a drug dealer. His cousin appeared off camera to say he was the same easygoing man seen in this video:
Cousin of the deceased
"Well, he was just a good friend that just liked laughing and smiling up with people and having fun. Well he just did landscaping cutting yards and things like that. He's a workman."
"Last night he left from there and said he was going home and he went to meet a friend where he said he would eat some little pork that they had fried up for them and that is about it and then when I got home I heard that he was dead. I don't know why they killed him."
Killed him and injured two others:
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"Yesterday evening, around 7:30 thereabouts, police in Belmopan received information of shots being fired in the Maya Mopan area. Based on that, they responded. Upon arrival, they were notified that the victim had already been transported to the Western Regional Hospital for treatment. Shortly thereafter, police received information that the victim had passed. While they were conducting their investigation within the area, it took them to a location not too far away from where the incident had occurred, where again, they were notified that there were two other victims who were shot apparently by the suspect in the murder case. While he was fleeing, he encountered these two individuals and fired at them. They received varying degrees of injuries and were taken to the Belmopan Hospital for treatment."
One of those shooting Victims Selvin Teck is at the Western Regional while the other Nelson Sosa had to be transported to the KHMH. Early this morning, ahead of his surgery, Teck's mother spoke to Plus TV:
Esther Teck, Selvin Teck's Mom
"We saw two of them was shot in the back inside the pan."
Reporter
"So when your son called you he was already shot?"
Esther Teck, Selvin Teck's Mom
"Yes, two of them, the two of them were already shot. I just heard them say that the guy that shot at them had already shot one where he killed him by - street and then they said. He suspected that they were seeing them, seeing him then and that's why he shot them because he thought that they were seeing him where he just killed the next guy."
"Well he got the shot right here and it came out through his throat and Giovanni go the shot by his ears and they said that the bullet didn't come out so it stayed inside in the next side. It didn't even pass and he got on his leg. His leg is just in pieces. So they say my son might lose an eye. Giovanni they say he is between death and life. We just want justice."
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"Police in Belmopan is working diligently to put the pieces together. We believe that the shooting of Michael Williams may have been drug-related, and so, we're looking at several persons who are possible suspects, and we're gonna see where that takes us from there."
And, tonight despite serious injuries both Selin Teck and Nelson Sosa are listed as stable.
The owner of the house that was attacked told police that Micheal Williams had been living with him for over a year.
