ComPol Denounces Shooting Near School

Remember that shocking shootout on the Phillip Goldson Highway we told you about on Friday? The one right in front of a school? Well, tonight we’re learning just how intense it was, more than fifty shells were recovered after gunmen sprayed a blue Chevy Equinox with bullets. Two men, Glenford Reed and Joshua Augustine, somehow escaped with only minor injuries. Police say the pair realized they were being followed and made a sharp U-turn, but their attackers opened fire moments later. Acting ComPol Bart Jones and ACP Hilberto Romero breaks down what happened.

 

Bart Jones, Acting Commissioner of Police

“ The incident on the northern Highway near Horizon school is of major concern. It was on a major thoroughfare at the  height of traffic. And so thank God that the level of injuries were minimal. And so that kind of violence near schools, other playgrounds and other ed educational institutions is certainly makes it even more alarming and for which, as I said, we are going to take decisive actions in that regards.”

 

Reporter

“As you said, rightly, the event on Friday requires special attention. It is a major highway front of a school, certainly in excess of fifty rounds were fired. We know the target. They figure the second time he has been targeted in broad daylight.”

 

Bart Jones

“We are not a hundred percent certain that it was a machine gun, as I said, but, certainly  a large number rounds were fired in that incident. They, from our information, the target may have been in that vehicle and may have been in a vehicle that on the previous incident, which was also by a school, certainly raised concerns. And we have, we have given certain tasking to our intelligence and Gang Intervention Unit  to try and see how we could address that in particular, in respect to that person.”

 

Reporter

“Are you able to see if indeed ninety rungs were recovered from the scene?”

 

Bart Jones

“I  know that a  number of rounds were recovered from the scene and Mr Romero will give the facts.”

 

Reporter

“You said you are not sure if it’s a machine gun, could it be that a switch was used, which would be worse than a machine gun?”

 

Bart Jones

“That that is the possibility. So it could be a, a regular Glock pistol with a switch. So I would not be haste to say, oh, it was a machine gun.  So they have these devices that can be used on pistols to make them automatic. And so that is also a possibility. So I would not want to say, unless a firearm has been recovered  to see definitively what it was.”

 

ACP Hilberto Romero, Head, National Crime Investigation Branch

“They were heading to Belize City when they spotted the vehicle that was following them, they turned around and that is when the vehicle followed and they fired the shots at them. They ended up by Mejiaa.”

 

Reporter

“Are you able to see how many expedited shells were found at the scene?”

 

ACP Hilberto Romero

“We know it’s over 50 shells.”