_{Photo: (l-r) Doris Grant and Austin Underwood}

Woman labeled as land scam artist one of the two who received gunshot injuries

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Mon. June 17, 2024

In the early hours of Sunday, June 16, while returning to their Reggae Street home after attending a concert in Belize City, 50-year-old Doris Grant and 31-year-old Austin Underwood were targeted by a gunman when their vehicle was on the bridge on Fairweather Street.

Initial reports are that a triggerman surfaced after 3:00 a.m. from out of an alleyway and reportedly blasted as many as a dozen gunshots in their direction.

Another vehicle that was trailing the couple, and which was occupied by the couple’s relatives, was also caught in the barrage of bullets.

Grant was injured to her hand and Underwood to his leg, and their vehicle was riddled with bullet holes. Also, the trailing vehicle was hit, but no injuries were sustained.

Grant’s and Underwood’s injuries were not life-threatening, thus they were treated and released from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

For several weeks, Grant has been in the local media, labeled as a woman who swindled another woman out of 200 thousand dollars for land transactions while impersonating a lands officer. She was initially charged with 14 counts of obtaining property by deception, and 12 counts of obtaining money transfer by deception.

More recently, it has been alleged that Grant was part of a fraudulent Ministry of Natural Resources’ land clinic which was held in the Mennonite community of Shipyard in the Orange Walk District. Subsequently, the Lands Minister, Hon. Cordel Hyde told the media that he doesn’t know who Grant is, or had any knowledge of 5 million which was reportedly gathered.

Underwood is a well-known underworld figure in the streets of Belize City, who was wanted for being part of a gang. He has claimed to have gone on the straight path and that he became a businessman.

According to ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander for the Belize Police Department’s Eastern Division, the shooting is believed to be gang-related and several persons have been detained pending investigations.