During what police are classifying as a robbery of a Chinese supermarket located in Belmopan on Saturday, September 3, 2011, at approximately 8:55 p.m., a robber was fatally shot.
According to police, Michael “Ham” Young, 27, a resident of Hattieville, was found on Trinity Boulevard, apparently dead. Police say that prior to Young’s shooting, three men entered the Chinese supermarket; two were armed with a handgun and a knife. The robbers demanded money from the store owners.
The businesswoman immediately handed over a total of $1,950 cash, 2 cell phones and a boledo-programmed computer.
According to witnesses we spoke with today in Belmopan, the Chinese businessman was standing outside his store getting ready to close the shutters when the three men, wearing masks, came from around the corner of the store, from an alley between the shop and a house which connects to Trinity Boulevard.
The first robber grabbed the businessman from behind and the other two ran inside the store.
A store employee and the businesswoman were inside the store when the two armed men ran in shouting, “robbery! robbery!”
Apparently, the businesswoman handed over the items to the thieves, while the other store employee grabbed the baby from the aisle and ran for safety in the back room.
We spoke to reliable witnesses who told us that the businessman, who was initially ambushed outside the store, had a licensed firearm on him at the time and had no choice but to use it, in self defense, since one of the robbers, who was armed, fired in his direction while fleeing.
Five gunshots were heard echoing through the normally peaceful neighborhood.
Police issued a release saying, “Upon exiting the store, the male with the firearm fired several shots towards (the) businessman, who returned fire, causing the fatal injuries to Young.”
Young, we were told, after being shot ran toward the back of the supermarket, and then collapsed. He was shot a total of three times: once behind the left ear, once in the left leg and once in the right knee; and succumbed to his injuries immediately.
Police say that they are searching for two other persons in connection with this robbery; we were unable to verify whether any of the two other assailants was shot.
The stolen items were not recovered, and the business owners were left visibly shaken by the ordeal.