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Lebanese American executed in Farmers Market restaurant

HeadlineLebanese American executed in Farmers Market restaurant

The gunman walked into the restaurant, shot his victim multiple times, and walked out

A Lebanese man who resides in the United States was executed this morning in a Lebanese restaurant, King Kabab Restaurant, in the Farmers Market compound near the BelCan Bridge, in a building that was once the Spice Depot.

Abdul Aziz Dib, 40, a car dealer who resides in the Coney Drive area when in Belize, was shot six times in his head and chest at close range by a lone masked gunman who went into the restaurant at approximately 12:30 p.m.

A witness and a friend who were with Aziz Dib told reporters that they and ten other Lebanese were eating and socializing in the restaurant when the gunman entered the restaurant through the open main door, facing the BelCan area, and approached Aziz.

The gunman then shot Aziz six times, hitting him in the head, chest and face.

After Aziz fell, the gunman slid the gun under the waist of his pants and strolled out of the restaurant as if nothing had happened. He got on his bicycle and rode off towards the Freetown Road exit of the Farmers Market.

The witness said that only Aziz was shot, and that Aziz reportedly had come to Belize just to deliver a vehicle, and was to return to the States. He said that there was no planned meeting at the restaurant with Aziz, that they were all friends and that they usually go to the restaurant to eat and socialize.

He said that they don’t know why Aziz was killed, because he lived in the States and had no enemies in the city.

A witness who was also in the restaurant told Amandala that he was eating when a man came in with a mask on his face and shot Aziz, who was also eating. When the shooting began, he said, there was confusion in the restaurant when they all tried to run out of the side door to escape the gunman.

The witness said he fell outside, and as the gunman left, he briefly looked at him before mounting his bicycle, which was parked near the restaurant, and rode away.

They called police, who came within fifteen minutes. He said that during that time, Aziz was still breathing. The witness said he got his pickup truck, but no one wanted to help him load Aziz into the back of the truck.

He said that he knew that Aziz was going to die, because he had been shot several times in his head and chest. Aziz took some deep breaths, said the witness, and then died.

So far, no one has been detained for the murder.

Abdul Aziz Dib is the father of two children, a son and a daughter, who live in North Carolina in the United States. He is survived by his mother, who lives in Lebanon, 5 brothers, 1 who lives in Belize City, and four in Lebanon.

He is also survived by 4 sisters who all live in Lebanon. His friends said that his body will be returned to Lebanon for his funeral.

A family member said that it is a bad time for the Lebanese community, since another community member was murdered one day after the death of Aziz.

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