Old Belize Outing Ends in Fatal Shooting of 25-Year-Old

A Sunday afternoon at Old Belize was supposed to be about fun and relaxation, but it ended in a hail of bullets. Twenty-five-year-old Gaston Barrow was killed in a shocking ambush as he rode in a Chevy Malibu with friends. Another man, Hance Card, was seriously injured, while two women escaped unharmed. Tonight, police are trying to determine whether this attack was just a random act of violence, or part of a bigger cycle of retaliation. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with the following story.

 

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

What started as an afternoon of fun at Old Belize ended in tragedy on Sunday evening. Twenty-five-year-old Gaston Barrow was gunned down in a brazen ambush while riding in a Chevy Malibu driven by Hance Card. The gunman unleashed a hail of bullets on the vehicle, killing Barrow. Two women who were also inside the car managed to escape without injury, but the shocking attack has left many asking, what sparked this deadly assault?

 

ACP Hilberto Romero, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch

“We are not sure. We all know that when they got in their vehicle, then they were targeted. Information was that both were in a car at Old Belize when they were approached by a male person who fired several shots towards their direction causing their injuries. We are seeking one suspect in regards to this murder investigation.”

 

Card was also shot but survived and remains hospitalized. The shooter quickly jumped back into a van, which sped off along the George Price Highway toward Burton Canal Bridge. Police believe that surveillance footage from Old Belize can assist with their investigation.

 

Hilberto Romero

“Yes, there is footage, so that is being reviewed at this time.”

 

Zenida Lanza

“Is this in connection with the Friday shooting on Philip Goldson [Highway]?”

 

Hilberto Romero

“We believe it is gang-related, yes.”

 

Reporter

“Is it a retaliation?”

 

Hilberto Romero

“Yes, we believe it is retaliation for the previous shootings.”

 

Reporter

“Were both men the intended target or…”

 

Hilberto Romero

“They were both in the car, so the shots were fired towards them.”

 

Investigators are now trying to connect the dots, was Sunday’s deadly ambush linked to Friday’s armed attack on three men along the Philip Goldson Highway? That’s the big question police are working to answer tonight. Isani Cayetano for News Five.