More details have emerged regarding Friday afternoon’s shooting on Amandala Drive in Belize City.
Around 4:16 p.m., 26-year-old Earl Anderson, a Belizean handyman of Vernon Street, was socialising with three other men in the yard when a gunman on a bicycle rode up and unleashed a volley of gunfire.
Anderson was struck twice in the body. Miraculously, the other men escaped unscathed.
Police responded quickly to the scene, and Anderson was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he remains in the Intensive Care Unit in very critical condition.
Authorities have not yet released a motive for the shooting, but the investigation remains active.
In the small yard of a modest home on Cedar Street, two lives were extinguished, quietly, mercilessly, and with a cruelty that reflects a chilling truth: in today’s Belize, even the defenceless are not spared.
The victims were 64-year-old Evadnie Jones and her son Luke Jones, who lived with a disability that confined him to a wheelchair. Their bodies were found nearly 20 hours after neighbours first reported hearing gunshots on Friday night. For much of that time, they lay just beyond their gate, in the same neighbourhood where bullets are more common than justice.
Hours before the shooting, Patrick Jones, a known member of the Taylor’s Alley gang, had gone live on TikTok from the United States, boasting about his survival and taunting his rivals. That video may have lit the fuse. Hours later, his mother and brother were dead.
In the past eight months, three wheelchair-bound men have been executed. First, it was 17-year-old Trayson Gibson, paralysed since age 15, gunned down while on Banak Street. Then, Gion Bernard, known as “Gizmo,” was killed on Castle Street. He was shot in the head. And over the weekend, Luke Jones.
Opposition Leader Tracy Panton called the Jones murders “a sign of deepening lawlessness” and urged the government to act decisively. UDP Leader Shyne Barrow went further, saying, “There are people who must be permanently removed from our streets, not just for justice, but for the protection of society.” He called for strong legislation and police empowerment, even citing controversial strategies used in El Salvador to crush gang influence.
28-year-old tour guide Emmanuel Vasquez is in police custody after officers reportedly caught him fleeing his apartment, where they later found suspected crack cocaine, cannabis, and over $1,900 in cash.
Vasquez attempted to escape but was quickly detained. A bag he discarded was found to contain 335 grams of suspected crack cocaine and 287 grams of cannabis.
He is expected to be charged with drug possession with intent to supply
The Office of the Commissioner of Police is urging Belizeans to be more responsible when using social media, warning that reckless posts can inflame tensions, spread fear, and interfere with police work.
In a statement issued this afternoon, the Commissioner of Police called on citizens, media outlets, and social media users to avoid sharing unverified information, inflammatory content, or messages that could incite violence.
This statement comes after several media houses continued to report statements made by alleged gang members.
The department says recent incidents have shown how quickly misinformation and hateful rhetoric can escalate into real-world consequences, endangering lives and public order. According to the release, such posts not only undermine community safety but also divert critical police resources from urgent matters.
“Crime prevention and public safety are shared responsibilities,” the statement said. “The careless use of social media can fuel unrest, cause unnecessary panic, and disrupt law enforcement efforts.”
An 84-year-old woman known affectionately as Mama Tona is at the centre of growing public concern after suffering a massive stroke during a prolonged legal battle to defend her land in Big Falls, Toledo. Once an active Sunday school teacher for over four decades, she has mobility and speaking challenges.
According to the Belize Home Carers Association, Mama Tona’s health deteriorated following what her family describes as relentless legal pressure and systemic neglect. Despite her age, frailty, and hearing impairment, the Supreme Court required her to be physically present in Belize City to defend herself in a land dispute, a case involving a neighbour who allegedly forged her signature to claim access to her property.
According to the association, the family says they spent over $12,000, originally meant for home repairs, to comply with court demands. But the stress, travel, and emotional toll allegedly triggered the stroke that left her partially paralysed. With a new court date looming, they have now been told another $15,000 is needed for legal proceedings, and once again, Mama Tona must appear in person.
“This is not just a land dispute; it is elder abuse. This is bullying,” the association said. They allege that the neighbour, an American national, has repeatedly destroyed fences and ignored boundaries, using Mama Tona’s land as a personal road despite the availability of a public one. Photos shared by the family show damaged fences and gates they claim were torn down by the neighbour.
The National Council on Ageing (NCA), through Justice Moore, has since made contact and is now reportedly looking into the matter.
Critics are questioning why the case concerning land located in Toledo was not heard at the Punta Gorda Supreme Court, a move that could have spared Mama Tona from the physically demanding journey to Belize City. “This is a failure of the system,” the association stated. “There are no clear protocols for accommodating elderly or disabled persons in our justice process. That is unacceptable.”
They are now calling on the Ministry of Human Development, the judiciary, and relevant authorities to revise court procedures for elderly and disabled citizens, investigate the court’s decision to require her physical presence, and acknowledge the trauma and health consequences caused by the judicial process.
The family also questioned why the courts are entertaining what they say is a “baseless” challenge to a legally titled property. “This should never have gone this far,” they added.
The Ministry of Health & Wellness (MoHW), in collaboration with UNICEF, has launched a new training initiative aimed at strengthening mental health services for children and adolescents in Belize. The program focuses on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), a widely recognised psychological approach used to treat conditions such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and behavioural issues in young people.
The training is designed to equip frontline professionals, including psychiatric nurse practitioners, social workers, and school counsellors, with the tools needed to recognise early signs of mental distress and apply basic CBT techniques. By building the capacity of those working directly with children and adolescents, the Ministry hopes to expand early intervention efforts and promote resilience in youth facing emotional challenges.
Facilitated by Dr. Susanna Mitchell Hoy, a leading child psychologist at the MoHW, the sessions brought together key stakeholders from across the public sector. Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Health & Wellness, the Ministry of Human Development, Family Support and Gender Affairs, and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
Officials say the training reflects a whole-of-government approach to mental health, emphasizing the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration in improving outcomes for Belize’s youth. It also aligns with national efforts to create a child-centered mental health system that is inclusive, accessible, and rooted in community-based care.
A group of former representatives of the People’s Constitution Commission (PCC) met with Prime Minister John Briceño earlier this week to express serious concerns about the PCC’s final report, submitted to the government in May 2025.
The group includes former delegates from civil society organisations such as the National Women’s Commission, Maya organisations, LGBTQI+ advocates, student and youth alliances, the University of Belize, the National Garifuna Council, and major unions like the BNTU and PSU.
They outlined several issues with the report, including that it did not follow the decision-making process mandated by the PCC Act, lacked a sound methodology for reviewing the Constitution, and failed to sufficiently reflect public opinion. In response, the group proposed a number of steps, including appending a disclaimer to the report stating that it does not represent the views of all commission members, extending the timeframe for organisations to provide feedback until October, and seeking expert input from regional or international bodies such as the Commonwealth Secretariat. They also recommended a public review period of at least three months once the report is laid before the National Assembly and called for clear, politically neutral referendum questions.
The group said the meeting with the prime minister was productive and that he acknowledged their concerns as valid. He invited them to submit a consolidated set of recommendations and committed to keeping them involved as the government continues reviewing the report.
Tensions are high tonight in Belize City after yet another broad daylight shooting, this time at the corner of Amandala Drive and Vernon Street. Just after four o’clock, a gunman on a bicycle rolled up to a property once owned by the late Carlos Diaz and opened fire. A young man, believed to be from the Vernon Street area, was in the yard when the bullets started flying. He was hit multiple times and collapsed on the grass inside the property. Eyewitnesses say he was rushed to the KHMH in the back of a pickup truck, fighting for his life. Over a dozen expended shells were found scattered on the sidewalk. Police haven’t released a motive or the victim’s name just yet, but we’ll keep following this developing story as more details come in.
Tonight, police are trying to piece together the motive behind a bold and deadly shooting that’s left one man dead and another in the hospital. It happened just a block away from home for twenty-eight-year-old Alfredo Trapp and thirty-eight-year-old Gabriel Villafranco Salazar; two men who, police say, are no strangers to trouble. The pair were ambushed by two gunmen on a motorcycle in what appears to be a targeted attack. Trapp didn’t survive the hail of bullets, while Salazar is now recovering and may hold the key to what really happened. Both men have been linked to past murder investigations on the island, raising the question: was this shooting a message, or a case of past deeds catching up with them? News Five’s Paul Lopez has the story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
A tragic night unfolded in the San Mateo area of Ambergris Caye on Thursday. What started as a peaceful day of lobster fishing ended in gunfire and loss. Around nine p.m., twenty-eight-year-old Alfredo Trapp and thirty-eight-year-old Gabriel Villafranco Salazar were just a block away from home, riding in a black golf cart down an unnamed street. That’s when two men on a motorcycle pulled up and opened fire. The scene was chilling, blood stained the street, a grim reminder of the violence that erupted so suddenly. Trapp didn’t survive the attack. Salazar, though injured, made it out alive. Tonight, the community is left shaken, and police are working to uncover what led to this deadly ambush.
ASP Stacy Smith
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“At approximately nine p.m. on Thursday third July police responded to reports of shot being fired in San Mateo Area of San Pedro. Officers were dispatched to the scene of the incident as well as the San Pedro Poly Clinic. At the San Pedro Polyclinic police encountered two men, Alfredo Trapp and Gabriel Villafranco, both of whom were seen suffering from two gunshots wounds to the upper parts of their bodies. Both men underwent treatment, however Trapp succumbed to the injuries he sustained. Villafranco is listed in stable condition. What police has gathered so far is that both men were on a golfcart in the San Mateo Area when they were accosted by two male persons who fired shots, injuring them.”
The black golf cart Alfredo Trapp and Gabriel Salazar were riding in tells a chilling story, bullet holes pierced the windshield, and bloodstains mark the seats. At the scene, police recovered eight spent shells, clear signs of the violence that unfolded. That golf cart is now parked at the San Pedro Police Station, impounded as part of the ongoing investigation. News Five also spoke with the mother of Trapp’s only daughter. She acknowledged his troubled past but shared that he had been working hard to turn his life around.
On the Phone: Elizabeth Vasquez, Ex-Partner of Deceased
“When I mih meet Alfredo he was a problem person. He was in and out of jail, in and out of jail and when he meet me, I was different. I am hard working person. He promised he would change his life. He stayed out of trouble for five, six years and we broke up. But he was never in problems. We broke up last year and told him Alfredo don’t forget you need to live for your daughter because then our daughter is an o positive blood just like him and I told him don’t forget the baby will always need your blood. He said yes Bella, I will always live for my daughter. So, all of this just hit like, I don’t know.”
Gabriel Villafranco Salazar
Alfredo Trapp, who was killed, and Gabriel Villafranco Salazar, who survived, both had long histories with the law. Police records show Salazar has been accused of murder at least four times. And Trapp wasn’t far from controversy either; in late 2023, police issued a wanted poster for him in connection with the murder of twenty-three-year-old American nursing student J’Bria Bowens, who was gunned down in front of Jaguars Nightclub.
ASP Stacy Smith
“While both Villafranco and Trapp are known to the police, no clear motive has been established in this investigation.”
Alfredo Trapp
Reporter
“From what the police knows so far, were these persons the targets of the shooters?”
ASP Stacy Smith
“It would want to appear so on the facts we have so far.”
Reporter
“There are a number of rivalries out there. Do you know any motives?”
ASP Stacy Smith
“No motive has been established so far, but I know that for the past few weeks there has been intensive operations in that area that has led to the recovery of weapons and drugs and police continue to monitor the situation in that area.”
There’s been a shake-up in leadership on Ambergris Caye, with a new officer now in charge of the San Pedro Police formation. But with that change comes a big question: were criminals quick to take advantage of the transition? It’s a theory that’s gaining traction, especially in the wake of Thursday night’s deadly shooting.
ASP Stacy Smith
“We know criminals will strike at any given time. They don’t need a change of command to take actions they believe meet any needs they have. But what I can say is that the operations that have been conducted by the new officer in command have yielded a great deal of success and we expect that to continue.”
Gabriel Villafranco was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he is listed in stable condition. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
A community already shaken by tragedy is now gripped by frustration. Tonight, police are on high alert after a man charged with the cold-blooded murder of twenty-one-year-old Travis Swift has escaped custody. It was just weeks ago that a quiet night in Camalote Village turned into a nightmare. Travis had just returned from a quick store run when gunfire erupted, right inside his mother’s bedroom. Nearly thirty shell casings were found at the scene, the walls riddled with bullets, the windows shattered. His mother, Rosita Orellana, described it as something out of a war zone. Heartbreakingly, Travis is the second son she’s lost to gun violence in just seven years. Two men were charged, Michael Middleton and Kyle Roberts, but now, Middleton is on the run. Police are pleading with the public for help. Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith has more on this alarming development.
ASP Stacy Smith
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“ Today, fourth July, 2025, police formally arrested and charged two men in connection with the murder of Travis Darnell Swift, which occurred on thirteenth June, 2025, twenty-eight-year-old Michael Middleton, a Belizean construction worker, and twenty-three-year-old Kyle Roberts, a Belizean truck driver, both off Roaring Creek Village Cayo District have been jointly charged for the crime of murder. Regrettably, subsequent to Middleton’s arrest, he escaped from lawful custody, and as such is wanted by police. Middleton is medium built. He stands at approximately five feet eight inches in height, and is brown in complexion. The department anticipates that it’ll be able to apprehend Middleton in due course, but it takes the opportunity to remind the general public that it is an offense to knowingly harbor conceal or assist in the harboring or the concealing of a wanted person, and that offense is punishable with up to five years imprisonment.”
Kyle Roberts
Reporter
“Should this individual be considered armed and dangerous?”
ASP Stacy Smith
“He is wanted for a crime of murder. Where in firearm was used? We know murder is a charge for which bail is not granted at the lower court. So those are considerations. So persons are encouraged to be on the report and be wary and certainly to pass on any information as it relates to Mr. Middleton.”
