MAHOGANY HEIGHTS, Belize District, Mon. Nov 1, 2021 — This morning, at around 7:15, police in the Mahogany Heights area responded to reports of a shooting that occurred within two blocks of the police station in the village. Upon arrival at the scene of the shooting, the police found the motionless body of 18-year-old Ethon Thompson, a fourth form student of Maud Williams High School.
According to initial reports, Thompson was riding his bicycle towards a local tacos vendor when he was ambushed by two persons , one of which was carrying a gun him and fired shots in his direction. Thompson was severely wounded and passed away shortly after.
A villager who chooses to remain unnamed suggested that there is an ongoing rivalry in the area as a result of a feud between formerly close companions. The source communicated to us that in the days leading up to the shooting, there were as many as 3 to 5 other shootings in the area.
The police have not yet been able to tie the shootings to Thompson’s death. They continue to investigate the situation to determine a motive behind Thompson’s shooting; however, police believe that Thompson was the intended target of the gunmen.