Belize City Man Shoots Himself with Unlicensed Firearm

Police are investigating a shooting in Belize City that may have been accidental, but it involves an illegal firearm. Authorities say twenty-three-year-old Christopher Zetina was injured Tuesday afternoon on St. Joseph Street when a gun he was holding went off, wounding him at his own home. Now, investigators are working to verify his account and track down the weapon, noting that the injured man is not licensed to carry a firearm. Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith has more on the case.

 

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“Police are investigating a shooting incident which resulted in the injury of twenty-three-year-old Christopher Zetina, which occurred at around four fifteen p.m. on the second June, 2026 on St. Joseph Street, Belize City. The investigators reported that they visited the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, having learned that an injured person was at that location, and from speaking to Mr. Zetina, they learned that he was at his residence and he had a firearm in his possession, and it accidentally discharged, injuring him. Police officers are following up on that statement to see if it can be corroborated, and also to locate the firearm that was used, as Mr. Zetina is not the holder of a license.”

 

Britney Gordon

“So are any charges going to be levied against him for handling a firearm that isn’t licensed to him?”

 

ASP Stacy Smith

“I know when it comes to prosecution in relation to possession of a unlicensed firearm, a very important component is for the firearm in question to be tendered into evidence. That is not the position as yet, but we acknowledge that there was an admission on his part that he was at some point in time in possession of a firearm, so we are exploring to see how best to address that situation”

 

As of news time, police have yet to recover the weapon.

 

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