BELIZE CITY–A number of persons were walking on North Front Street around 2:15 p.m. yesterday, Wednesday, when a lone gunman began firing at another man from point blank range, hitting his target once in the head, before being chased and shot in the leg by police.

A woman who works on North Front Street and spoke to Amandala on condition of anonymity told us that she was never so terrified in her life.

“This was a very traumatic experience for me,” said the woman.

And a man who was visiting Belize City from one of the districts described hearing a popping sound, and when he turned around, he saw a man with a gun blasting away at another man who was running towards the Swing Bridge, holding his ears.

According to the witness, an elderly white man who appeared to be a visiting tourist attempted to set chase after the gunman, but apparently changed his mind when the gunman ran through an alley when the police appeared on the scene.

Police reported today, Thursday, that Andrew Tate, 28, a laborer and resident of Far West Street, suffered a gunshot wound to the back of the head. Tate was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) Emergency Room, where he is listed in a stable condition.

Police also detailed in their report that Tate had been riding a bicycle towards the Swing Bridge when he was accosted by the gunman.

Eyewitnesses in the area told Amandala that the gunman fired at least three shots at Tate, before he stopped firing and ran in the direction of Pink’s Alley as police began to close in on him.

Carl Lino, 22, a resident of 16 Gabourel Lane, the man who police believe was the gunman, was also transported to the KHMH after being shot in the upper left leg by police.

Lino is at the KHMH under police guard, said the police press release.

The release also mentioned, “A chrome with rubber grip .38 special revolver that fell from the suspect’s hand was retrieved by police.”