The name of the popular gun store named Lock and Loaded in Belmopan has been in our news and talk show coverage here on Channel 7 a few times in the past few weeks. And today, someone sent us a statement from the gun store.
It is penned by the owner Abner Murillo who says, quote, "The picture that is being portrayed is that any criminal can walk up to any firearms dealer in Belize and pay for a "guaranteed" firearm license and get a legal gun, that is simply not so." He adds, "The nature of your reporting seems to be that criminals can access weapons by paying a fee to obtain a gun license, to this I can say with certainty, and other dealers attest to this as well, is not so."
He outlines the gun application process with all the checks and balances which he suggests are mandatory and inescapable for all applicants including out whistleblower who appeared anonymously and claimed he paid persons to bypass most of those.
Murillo adds, quote, "Guaranteed approvals, do not exist and in my opinion, one cannot sell something that does not exist. If there are individuals out there promising and guaranteeing something of that nature, then that is nothing short of deception and a matter between both those individuals. The individual who went on the news claiming to have made the decision to pay three different individuals to help him get his firearm license faster made that choice on his own."
Murillo then says, quote, "The other inaccuracy in your report is that Lock n' Loaded is selling "High Powered Assault rifles referring to a 223 rifle shown. Only a handful of calibers are legal in Belize and a 223 caliber rifle is by no means a high powered assault rifle."
He also addresses his relationship with the police department - which we mentioned on Uncut when he sponsored a basketball tournament. Murillo says, quote, "I must clarify that my relationship is not with the police department but with the COMMUNITY, the police department just happens to be a vital part of the community and one that I will continue to support."
Murillo concludes, quote, "I applaud your investigative journalism but do request that more accurate reporting be done."
As always, we stand by our reporting - and what that whistleblower told us about his experience has been confirmed by the personal experience of many others, including a senior government official and an established business owner.
