_{Photo: Robert Joseph, charged}

A woman and a female minor were killed in a broad daylight shooting at the Belmopan Market Plaza; two other minors injured in the shooting

by Charles Gladden

BELMOPAN, Wed. Mar. 13, 2024

The Jewel’s capital is mourning the death of a woman and an unrelated female minor as they were both shot and killed in broad daylight on Tuesday, March 13, at the Belmopan Market Plaza by a Haitian-American national, who has been living in the country since 2010 and is the owner of Blue Water Lodge in Belmopan.

The identities of the deceased were revealed to be 8-year-old Megan Petkau Klassen, a Mexican student, and 44-year-old Italian housewife Laura Fiorito, residents of the Agua Viva area on the outskirts of Belmopan. Fiorito’s male partner, Netherlands national Salvatore Lopes escaped unharmed, but their two minor children – 7-year-old Tristan Lopes and 11-year-old Sarah Lopes – were injured in the horrific shooting. Presently, they are being treated at the Western Regional Hospital, where they are listed in a stable condition.

Initial reports suggested that sometime after 3:00 p.m., their attacker, 59-year-old Robert Joseph, also known as “Bob,” of Belmopan, along with his 22-year-old son, David Joseph, went to the Belmopan Market Plaza where they met the family of four – Salvatore Lopes, his common law partner Laura Fiorito, and their children Tristan Lopes and Sarah Lopes – along with Megan Petkau Klassen, a schoolmate of the children who were all playing nearby and eating ice cream.

On encountering the family grouping, Robert Joseph promptly produced his licensed 9mm pistol and proceeded to shoot, hitting Fiorito, who died on the spot, while her partner Salvatore fled the scene unharmed. Joseph then pursued the children who also tried to get away, and fatally shot 8-year-old Megan Klassen and wounded both Sarah and Tristan Lopes.

Joseph and his son were quickly detained by police, who also retrieved the suspected murder weapon.

At the scene, ACP Suzette Anderson, Regional Commander of the Belize Police Department Western Division, told local reporters that the husband, Salvatore Lopes had been taken to the Belmopan Police Station to try and gather more information as to a possible motive. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the family had been staying at Joseph’s establishment up to January of this year, when they relocated to their current residence, and that he believed that the family had attempted to poison him.

Those reports were later confirmed by Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams when he caught up with local reporters the following day and mentioned that the family had rented a home from Joseph for approximately 6 months, and during that time, Joseph alleges they attempted to poison him.

Commissioner Williams additionally mentioned that the deadly shooting was captured on a nearby surveillance camera, the footage of which will be reviewed in the case.

Reporters also spoke to the uncle of Megan, John Petkau, who said that it would be routine for his brother and the Lopes family to rotate in picking up their children from school and stop by Paradise Café to purchase ice cream.

Petkau was asked about the speculation that the family attempted to poison Joseph during their stay at his premises.

“I cannot say anything [about] what type of relationship they have. If it’s true or not; I could say anything I want to. Anybody can make up stories saying they could have poisoned them; but that [doesn’t] give him the right to kill someone or to kill innocent children. Because, probably they ate something and he felt bad. That doesn’t make any sense to me,” Petkau expressed.

The manager of Paradise Café, Ronaldo Logan, mentioned that he was conducting his regular duties at the establishment when he had a brief casual conversation with Joseph, and then proceeded to meet with the family; and within seconds later, gunshots rang out in the area.

“After I heard the gunshot, then I realized that I don’t have anything on me; so, I [went] to see what I can do; and then the guy, after he shoots, he went to chase after the kids in the playground. I tried to try to tell the guy, ‘Man, you hold it down; you done do foolishness!’ you know, I was cursing a lot … Luckily, a police guy was in the area. I have to say thanks to the guy, you know, the man doing a really good job. The [police] walked up and hollered he is the police, to put down the gun, and then the guy pretty much threw his firearm [down]; and I saw the police come up, and then I and my brother-in-law helped apprehend him,” Logan said.

“That guy came to do what he did, you know. I guess if he had found them anywhere, he would’ve done the same. It could’ve been a school, a church; he came with that, you know; but like what I say, he never give no warning of what he came to do,” he added.

Logan said the targeted family were regulars at his establishment, and he saw them as friendly people. In light of the daylight shooting, the question remains whether the Market Plaza will need to introduce additional security measures to prevent a reoccurrence; however, Logan noted that approximately six security cameras are already installed, with three being at his establishment.

Area Representative of Belmopan and Minister of State at the Ministry of National Defence and Border Security, Hon. Oscar Mira expressed his condolences: “Tragic,” he said, “I send my condolences to the family, to friends, and to all those who were caught up in that madness that happened at the market today.”

Minister Mira continued, “I’m to meet with the [ComPol], to ensure that we work for the safety of our city and our citizens. The police can do so much, but it’s up to us as well as citizens to ensure that we do our part. There are certain things that police cannot prevent; there are certain things that happen, and I’m going to get a full briefing from the police as soon as I’m done to ensure that we can mitigate the effects of what happened, and that we try to ensure it doesn’t happen.”

On Thursday, March 14, Robert Joseph was charged with multiple offenses – two counts of Murder and three counts of Attempted Murder.