The streets of Belize City were rocked by gunfire late Friday morning, as gang violence continues to grip the Old Capital. In a bold and brazen attack, well-known street figure Tyrone Meighan was shot and killed in broad daylight on Sarstoon Street, just after eleven a.m. The thirty-one-year-old’s murder has sent shockwaves through the community, and tonight, police are racing against time to find those responsible. News Five’s Britney Gordon has been following the story closely and brings us this report.
Just one month after the heartbreaking murders of Evadnie and Luke Jones, innocent relatives of Patrick Jones caught in the crossfire of a gang feud, Belize City is once again mourning a life lost to gun violence. This time, it’s thirty-one-year-old Tyrone Meighan, a well-known figure in the streets, who was gunned down in broad daylight on Friday morning. The shooting happened just a block away from where the Jones family was killed, underscoring the growing tension and danger in the Old Capital.
ACP Hilberto Romero, Head of Crime Investigation Branch
“Police responded to a shooting incident on Sarstoon Street in Belize City. Upon the arrival, they found a body of Tyron men with multiple gunshot injuries. Information is that he was in a vehicle along with another male person. When a motorcycle with two persons came to the area, one of the persons fired several shots towards his direction causing his feal injuries. We are seeking two persons in regards to this murder investigation.”
“We have several theories. We know this one is gang related with Tyrone Meighan. And we are trying to put the pieces together, but we cannot conclude if they’re related.”
“We have several operations that are undergoing. We have intelligence that we’re working on and so we are trying our best to minimize any retaliation at this time.”
Reporter
“Any mediation?”
ACP Hilberto Romero
“That is being looked at likewise.”
Another murder, another motorcycle ambush. It’s a disturbing trend, gunmen pulling up on motorbikes and opening fire. Just last week, twenty-year-old Justin Animo was killed in Lord’s Bank when two riders unleashed a hail of bullets on him and four others. It’s a tactic we’re seeing more often, and it raises serious concerns. In countries like Honduras, riding in tandem has even been banned to help curb these kinds of attacks. We asked Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero how local authorities plan to tackle this growing threat.
ACP Hilberto Romero
“We have seen all these incidents involving motorcycles. So we have several operations that are done weekly to try and find these persons who are committing these crimes. We have checkpoints and we also have operations that target the persons on motorcycles.”
ACP Hilberto Romero
“We are conducting a full investigation. We have two suspect we’re looking for and several searches are being conducted to try and recover this firearm.”
“Was there CCTV footage in the area?”
ACP Hilberto Romero
“There were cameras that were in the area, so we are looking at those likewise.”
Meighan was not wanted for any crimes at the time of his death and police are still seeking two suspects in the investigation. Britney Gordon for News Five.