Five Men Shot in Belize City

Five men were shot while socialising on Aloe Vera Street in Belize City on Thursday night. According to police, the group came under fire around 10:15 p.m. when two men rode up on a bicycle and one opened fire.

Police say the gunmen approached from the direction of Mahogany Street. One of them got off the bicycle and fired several shots toward the group before both suspects fled toward Rosalind Bradley Street, which connects to Lawrence Avenue.

The injured have been identified as Aristotle Hughes, 20; James Young Jr, 29; Jermaine Smart, 18; Douglas Gill, 34; and Lismo Williams, 34.

All five victims were taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where they remain in stable condition.

Scenes of Crime Personnel retrieved 18 expended 9mm shells and collected blood samples from the scene.

Meanwhile, there’s a major ongoing public debate on the government-proposed 13th amendment, which aims to introduce several significant changes to Belize’s legal framework in the fight against crime and restore safety in crime-plagued communities. This week, Attorney Darrel Bradley called it “dangerous,” while the former Mesopotamia Area Representative Moses “Shyne” Barrow threw his support behind the 13th amendment.