A Corozal resident who was visiting Calderitas in neighboring Chetumal, Mexico, escaped with his life after a man shot him in the lower side of the face then, when he fell, attempted to shoot him again to end his life – an attempt which failed because the gun jammed.

The gunman then escaped in a car that was waiting for him. The incident occurred at about 4:30 Monday evening, and the victim, identified as Javier Guerra Delmar Tun, 41, of San Joaquin Village, Corozal, was taken to the Chetumal General Hospital, where doctors operated on him. His condition has been declared as serious but stable.

The taxi driver who took him to Calderitas was detained for questioning by Chetumal police.

Reports are that the State police were in the area at the time of the shooting and were the first to respond, and then paramedics of the Emergency Response Unit Medical Team went to the scene, administered first aid to Tun, who was suffering from a gunshot wound between the lower jaw and left side of the ear, then took him to the hospital.

The police’s chances of capturing the shooter are slim because he was from an unknown area, said the report.

According to reports, the people in the area are now fearful that the attack on the Belizean will cause retaliation.

On his behalf, the taxi driver who took Tun to Calderitas told police that on their arrival at a restaurant, a man was waiting for them; the man then approached and shot Tun. The assailant was attempting to fire another shot, but he, the taxi driver, threw a cell phone at him, causing the gun to jam, and the shooter then ran away, said the taxi driver.

It has been reported that police did not believe the taxi operator’s version of the incident, however, and he was arrested.