A shooting outside of Midnight Lounge & Night Club in Belize City early on Friday morning resulted in several persons being detained. Two persons were charged for discharging a firearm in public, and kept firearms and kept ammunition without a gun license. ASP Smith explained how police investigations led to the detention of these individuals.
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer
"Police have arrested and charged four persons, 3 males and one female as a consequence of an investigation into a shooting incident that occurred at around 3:00am on the morning of 16th January 2026 on Newtown Barracks Belize City. Guadalupe Escalante, 28 years of age a Belizean laborer of Raccoon Street and Kenyon Mascal, 19 years of age, of Belize City were jointly charged for the offense of kept firearm without a gun license and kept ammunition without a gun license. Both of these individuals were charged separately for discharging a firearm in public. The other individuals who were arrested were Norman Grant, 20 years of age, an unemployed of Amara Avenue and Sheri Card, 31 years of age a Belizean laborer of Tigris street who were both jointly charged for the offense of kept firearm without a gun license and kept ammunition without a gun license. The investigation commenced on the aforementioned date and time when officers were alerted to the sounds of shots being fired on Newtown Barracks. The officers responded and a vehicle of interest was identified being a red kia Soul. A search was conducted on that vehicle which resulted in the discovery of 1.3 revolver, 5 expended shells and 24 live rounds of.38 ammunition. Maskable and Escalante are charged for the firearm related offenses in relation to this discovery. The investigators were aware that a second vehicle was involved in this incident having reviewed footages from police control room and fusion center and at about 1:45 Pm on 16th January 2026 GI3 personnel having gathered intel and conducted a covert surveillance intercepted a black ford escape on Tigris street, believed to be the second vehicle that was involved in the incident. Onboard that vehicle were Grant and Card and a search of that vehicle resulted in the discovery of a black in cover 9mm Taurus brand pistol and a magazine containing 4 live rounds of 9mm ammunition. Both firearms have since been sealed and submitted to the national forensic and science services laboratory for testing."
Today in court, Maskall and Escalante pleaded not guilty to discharging a firearm in public and to possession of a firearm and ammunition. Due to the nature of the offenses both men were denied bail and remanded to the Belize Central prison until February 27, 2026.
