On Friday evening, while citizens were getting ready to attend the National Song Competition for the September Celebrations, four people were shot: two in the first incident, and two more in two subsequent, unrelated incidents.
At around 5:20 p.m., Maurice Neal, 32, a welder, and Jessica Cadle, 10, fell victim to an onslaught of bullets sprayed by two gunmen. Neal succumbed to his injuries while being transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, while Cadle has been recovering from her injuries.
At 7:15 p.m., Michael Hemmans was attacked in another area. Amandala understands that he is currently in a stable condition. Less than two hours later, Albert Dennis Robinson, 18, came under gunfire, and we understand that he remains in critical condition.
We begin with the first shooting. Eyewitnesses told us that Neal and Cadle were buying from a Chinese store in the near vicinity of Neal’s welding worksite on East Canal Street. Neal’s family told us that Cadle was a little girl he had become acquainted with while working on East Canal.
Police say that as soon as Neal and Cadle arrived at the corner of Berkeley and West Canal Streets, two men ran off Berkeley Street and one fired a barrage of shots at both of them.
Neal suffered a gunshot wound to the left side of the abdomen, one to the center of the back, one to the left side of his back, one on the right elbow, another in the right side of the chest, and one more to the left side of the head. Cadle suffered a gunshot wound to the right ankle.
Neal died on his way to the hospital, as his injuries were too extensive. Today, his family told us that he didn’t deserve his death, since he was a hardworking man who didn’t have time for anything other than providing for his family and spending time with them.
They told us that he had just gotten married about 3 months ago and he and his wife have an 11-month-old baby. He had also fathered, with an ex-girlfriend, a 10-year-old daughter, for whom he had also been providing.
Today, his family is upset that his life was taken away by the senseless violence plaguing the city. The gunmen took the life of an innocent man and a father of two, they told us.
Just two hours after that murderous incident, police received another report of a shooting, this time at the corner of Santa Barbara and Vernon Streets. The victim this time was Michael “Cabbage” Hemmans.
Police say that at around 7:15 p.m., Hemmans left the yard on Santa Barbara Street to secure his vehicle. That’s when someone fired several shots at him. He suffered injuries to the right hand, right buttocks and left hip, and was grazed on the left forearm.
Police say that he was admitted to the hospital in a stable condition.
At 8:50 p.m., police received a report of yet another shooting, this time on Barrack Road. According to their investigation, Albert Robinson was riding his bicycle on Barrack Road and as he arrived in front of La Catracha Bar, someone fired a shot at him. An eyewitness told us that the unknown gunman shot from close range, and Robinson was hit in the right side of the abdomen.
We understand that he was transported to the KHMH in critical condition and is still reportedly fighting for his life.
Police also reported that Stephan Flowers, who was shot in a previous incident on August 13, 2011, succumbed to his injuries at 9:11 p.m. on Friday.
According to police reports, Flowers and Ian Henkis, another Belize City resident, had been riding their bicycles on Mopan Street heading toward Sibun Street when a man came up behind them and fired several shots in their direction. One of the bullets caught Flowers in the left side of the abdomen.
Police have not yet named any suspects in connection with these shootings and murders.