by Charles Gladden
ORANGE WALK, Mon. Sept. 5, 2022
Early on Sunday morning, September 4, 24-year-old Ramon Espat was shot at 20 times on Aurora Street in Orange Walk Town. He was wounded by 16 of those shots, and subsequently died as a result.
Police say that Espat was standing in front of an establishment on Aurora Street at around 12:30 a.m. when a lone gunman, who was heading in the direction of Guadalupe Street, walked past him and proceeded to fire a barrage of bullets at Espat.
Espat was hit several times in his back, as well as in his left and right rib cage, abdomen, and right arm, and in his right leg. He was also shot once in the back of the head. He later succumbed to his injuries at the Northern Regional Hospital.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Hilberto Romero, Deputy Commander for the Crimes Investigation Branch, told local reporters at Monday’s police press briefing that two suspects are being sought in connection with the killing of Espat, and they are currently trying to determine the motive for the crime.
“We are working on a motive at this time. We are seeking these two persons [whom] we believe can assist in this investigation. We are presently looking for them, but we are not been able to find them as yet. We are looking at the background of the suspect as well as the deceased, and we will try to see if we find a connection,” he said.
Senior Superintendent Romero noted that Espat had a few run-ins with the law before his death.
On Monday, a post-mortem examination was conducted on Espat’s body, and his death was classified as a result of acute cranioencephalic traumatic injuries due to multiple gunshot wounds.