BELIZE CITY, Sun. Jan. 2, 2022– Just a few hours before the start of the New Year, a man was shot on Waight Street in Belize City. According to police reports, 33-year-old Akeem Welch was riding his motorcycle sometime around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, December 31, when someone fired shots in his direction. When police arrived at the scene of the shooting around 8:45 p.m., they discovered Welch lying on the ground with an apparent gunshot wound, and his overturned motorcycle was nearby on the street. He was then transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Unconfirmed reports from Welch’s family are that he may have been murdered by someone he knew, possibly even a friend. At the time of the shooting, Welch had just left a friend’s yard after a night of socializing, and the person suspected of being the triggerman was reportedly standing outside the house in which Welch had been socializing. Police, however, have not yet detained anyone in connection with the incident. Welch, a resident of Belize City, was the last murder victim reported for 2021.
Police have yet to establish a motive for the murder but have stated that their investigation is still underway.