The workday had just begun when the Belmopan community was struck by the news of the vicious, brazen murder of a well-known internist. Dr Naum Bonilla was on his way to drop his daughter off at school before heading to work when he was ambushed and executed. It's a tragedy that has not only devastated Bonilla's loved ones but also confused them - would anyone take the life of someone dedicated to saving the lives of others? That's the question his patients are asking as they mourn the gentle doctor.
And his colleagues are also wrestling with losing their main internist and friend. Courtney Menzies went west today and spoke with his supervisor. Here is that story.
At 8:30 this morning, 37 year old Dr Naum Bonilla put his 5 year old daughter in the backseat of his vehicle and headed out. He would have only made to the corner of his quiet Las Flores community when he was ambushed, blocked by another vehicle. A masked gunman then got out fired up to 8 shots, killing him instantly. His vehicle veered into this drain - and caused this wall of cinder blocks to buckle - all this mayhem playing out across the street from a park, nestled between swaying trees, a scene of horrifying violence in an otherwise tranquil residential area.
Dr Bonilla's colleagues were expecting him to arrive at work at Belmopan Medical Imaging Center at 9, but were met with the devastating news instead. His supervisor told us that it's a massive loss not just to the establishment but the entire community.
Dr Virginia Smith, Director, Belmopan Medical Imaging Center
"Here in addition to being our main internist, our main clinician that we turn to, he has been a very dear friend to all members of the staff. I would like to remember Dr Bonilla not just as any young doctor. As the director I observed him and saw him as very active, his practice was very active, he had a large following. His patients saw in him a very compassionate, charismatic, loving, attentive individual. For me the difference I saw in him is that he would spend at least an hour with each patient, allowing them to speak to him, going over all the details he needed to go over, going over the labs, trying to fine tune diagnosis and giving to them his advice, that is what people loved in him."
She lamented the fact that Dr Bonilla sacrificed years of his life to save others, only to have his taken away so callously.
Dr Virginia Smith, Director, Belmopan Medical Imaging Center
"Dr Bonilla, I met him 8 years ago when he had just graduated as an internist and came here with us looking for extra hours in the afternoons and in the evenings. He was working at that time as well at Western Regional Hospital as the internist there. He stayed there for many years as well. In addition, Dr Bonilla has a clinic at Valley of Peace where he serves a big community out there. I am pretty certain that community will miss him very much."
"What happened this morning, there is no words for it. Crime and violence in our Belizean community, there's no place in any aspect of our community for this crime and violence and more so touching the medical community, it's the last straw, it is really shocking. When a young person goes away to be trained as a doctor, you're giving the prime years of your young life to train to come back to your country to give service and to save lives, not to come back and have your life taken away, and in front of your child. This is lowest it has gotten and it is saddening for all of us."
And Dr Smith added that, as far as she knew, Dr Bonilla did not express that he had run into any issues that could have led to his murder.
Dr Virginia Smith, Director, Belmopan Medical Imaging Center
"He was always a very quiet, always just right there, supportive and he didn't talk that much. I didn't pick up that he was, at least to me, he did not speak to me of any serious issues that would being about a crime like this."
And after the tragedy, the greater Belmopan community has been expressing its grief over social media, particularly the elderly patients that he served the most. According to Dr Smith, his reach went further than just Belmopan.
Dr Virginia Smith, Director, Belmopan Medical Imaging Center
"He goes to different clinics to give his internist specialized attention to his patients, here people come here at Belmopan Medical Imaging, they go to his clinic in Valley of Peace, I think he also helps someone out at Armenia and so there are various communities that will feel that loss."
Dr. Bonilla's daughter - his only child - escaped the gunfire unharmed.
