The first victim was standing on Lovely Lane, and the other was walking on McKenzie Street

Paul Alvarez, 21, of Belize City, and Wilbert Cecil Gabourel, 21, also of Belize City, are both fighting for their lives at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) after they were shot in two different shooting incidents that occurred in the old capital on Friday and Monday respectively.

Alvarez was shot in the face, which caused damage to the left side of his jaw, while a bullet entered, then exited, Gabourel’s leg, resulting in a gaping wound.

The incident in which Alvarez was shot occurred at the start of the weekend. Police reports are that at about 7:45 p.m. on Friday evening, Alvarez was standing at the corner of Lovely Lane when a man on a bicycle approached and fired at him, hitting him in the left side of the face.

Alvarez was rushed to the KHMH, and is now in a stable condition at the hospital.

Police investigations led to the arrest of a 20-year-old construction worker who resides in Belize City, and he has been charged with the crimes of attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm and dangerous harm.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time that Paul Alvarez has been shot. At about 7:30 on Friday evening, January 4 of this year, he was shot multiple times by a gunman who had been lay-waiting him when he went to a nearby Chinese store, Ming Store, on Lovely Lane. Alvarez was shot in the right hand and right armpit, as well as in the right side of his back.

Police said that as Alvarez entered the store and was buying boledo at the counter, the gunman went into the store, stood by the doorway and fired about eight shots at him, hitting him multiple times. The gunman then ran out of the store.

Alvarez was quickly taken into the care of his friends in his Lovely Lane neighborhood. He was then rushed to the KHMH. The police officers who had processed the scene recovered 8 expended 9mm shells and had later arrested the gunman, 20, a resident of York Street, Belize City.

However, Alvarez had refused to press charges against the shooter, despite the wishes of police, and the gunman was thus released from custody.

The second man to be shot was Wilbert Cecil Gabourel. Police said that at about 9:30 Monday night, Gabourel was walking on McKenzie Street, heading to a Chinese store, and was shot as he passed Brown Street. Police responded to reports of the shooting and Gabourel was taken to the KHMH, where he is now in a stable condition.

Police conducted a search of the area, but the shooter was nowhere to be found.