by Kristen Ku
SANTA ELENA TOWN, Cayo District, Thurs. June 6, 2024
The well-known owner of a Chinese fried chicken establishmemt, Sheng Wen Wu, commonly known as “Allan,” was shot dead early this morning near his store and home in Santa Elena. Allan’s business was located in front of the Social Security Board on the George Price Highway, a frequently trafficked area where residents have been shaken by the news.
Reports indicate that the incident occurred around 3:00 a.m. when Allan had just arrived at his residence. He was exiting his Toyota 4Runner vehicle and attempting to open his front gate when he was approached by two men on a motorcycle who appeared to have been waiting for his arrival.
The assailants, one of whom was armed with what appeared to be a 9mm pistol, demanded money from Allan. Despite his claim that he had no money, the situation quickly escalated and Allan ran for his life.
According to eyewitness accounts, Allan attempted to flee towards the Hawksworth Bridge area; however, he was wounded by a bullet fired by the robbers and fell to the ground, almost one block away from his business.
Police reports suggest that the gunmen approached him and fired 3 to 4 more shots, causing severe injury to the left side of his chest, a wound to his left inner forearm, and one below the right knee.
Police were notified and arrived around 4:00 a.m. at the scene, where they found an apparently deceased Allan with multiple gunshot wounds. The scene was processed and photographed by Scenes of Crime personnel, and in their preliminary investigation, police recovered seven 9mm bullet casings and one bullet fragment.
Allan’s body was transported to the San Ignacio Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:42 a.m. by Dr. John Lisbey. Notably, neighbors have pointed out the fact that there are nearby business establishments that own security cameras which could be useful to police’s investigation.
Sheng Wen Wu aka Allan was not only known for his popular fried chicken business, but also for his friendly demeanor toward his customers and community.