At about 2:00 Saturday morning near a bar in Ladyville, Dennis Burke, 47, a businessman of Vista Del Mar, Ladyville, was stabbed in the right upper chest, while Oscar Perez, 31, a construction worker of Airport Road, Ladyville, was shot in the abdomen.

The two men were taken to the Belize Defence Force Hospital at Price Barracks Ladyville, where they were stabilized, before being transferred to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

Police said that on Saturday morning they responded to a shooting near a bar in Ladyville, where, on their arrival, they saw two injured men, Dennis Burke and Oscar Perez, lying near the highway.

They found that Burke had been stabbed in the chest, and near him they found a 9mm pistol.

Police say that they also saw Perez lying on the ground; he had been shot. Police also found a knife with a blade of about 6 inches, which they believe was the knife Perez used to stab Burke.

Police say that their investigation revealed that Burke was socializing in the Blue Hole Club, when he became involved in an altercation with one Edwin Perez. They were both expelled from the club by the club’s security.

Outside the club, the men continued their altercation, and Edwin’s brother, Oscar Perez, intervened on his behalf, and, police say, stabbed Burke in the chest with a knife.

Burke then took out his licensed handgun and shot Oscar Perez. Burke has since been charged with one count of unlawful conduct and discharging a firearm in a public place. He pleaded not guilty, but could not be offered bail because of the nature of the offense. He is to reappear in court on June 24th.