And while the attack on Grant was attempted murder - murder was the case on Friday night in Santa Elena when contractor Ricky Dawson Jr was shot and killed in a drain outside of his yard.
It has the appearance of an ambush, but who would have wanted Dawson Jr dead? Jaleeza Roberts spoke to his family:
These candles now mark the spot inside a Santa Elena drain where the body of thirty-three-year-old Ricky Dawson Jr. was discovered following Friday night's fatal shooting on San Leopold Street.
ACP Hilberto Romero, HNCIB
"On Friday the tenth day of July 2026, police responded to a shooting incident in Santa Elena, upon arrival they learned that a male person had been shot, he was identified as Ricky Dawson and he was seen with multiple gun shot injuries. Information is that Dawson was in the area of his house when a vehicle arrived, persons came out and fired several shots towards his direction causing his fatal injuries. We have 2 persons in custody in regards to this murder."
"They were detained this morning and will be interviewed."
"No we do not believe it is connected to any other incident we believe it is drug related."
But for whatever reason police believe he was killed on Friday night, his relatives knew him as a family man:
Paula Dawson, Aunt of Deceased
"Ricky for us was a caring, hardworking young man. He knew what he wanted in life and he went for it, Ricky was not a person that you saw out there drinking or smoking he never had tasted alcohol one day in his life. He doesn't like crowds. His happiness is working with his horse because he does horse racing, he has sheep and some pigs and basically just family. He was a dad, more than anything else and his daughter was the highlight of his life."
But police say that Dawson was known to police:
Jaleeza Roberts:
"Is he known to police?"
ACP Hilberto Romero:
"Yes he is known to police."
But when we asked his aunt Paula whether or not someone may have been after him, she said they would never have thought someone would ever want to hurt him:
Paula Dawson, Aunt of Deceased
"He was quiet, and actually he was somebody that could handle himself so we didnt have any reason to believe that his life was in danger, he didn't do anyone anything out there."
And apart from the father of his 9 year old daughter, he will be remembered for his passion:
Paula Dawson, Aunt of Deceased
"I could have to say his passion for food. He could eat a horse if you know him he's very tall, extremely tall and very slim bodied but he always always had a healthy appetite. The first thing he come in the house he want know what's in the pot. He's helped a lot of people, he's helped a lot of individuals and that is the Ricky we know and the Ricky we will always remember."
And that's how they choose to remember Dawson Jr, but his aunt is sending out a strong call for criminals to stop the ruthless violence:
Paula Dawson, Aunt of Deceased
"You all need to stop this nonsense, families are being torn apart ridiculously, you know. I have to watch my nephew, I have to bury my nephew, I have to watch his daughter grow up without a father, we are having more and more fatherless children within Belize and we have seemed to lost our sense of humanity. You all need to stop that."
Jaleeza Roberts, 7News.
