Four Belize City men were gunned down in broad daylight on the Coastal Plains Highway. Their vehicle was found overturned, riddled with bullet holes. It happened at around eight-fifteen at mile twenty-one. Three of the victims were found unresponsive at the scene, and the fourth died after being rushed to the Southern Regional Hospital. Police recovered more than fifty expended shells, and the highway stayed closed until shortly before two p.m. A vehicle and five people are in police custody, but investigators have not established a motive. News Five’s Shane Williams reports from the Coastal Highway.
Shane Williams
Shane Williams, Reporting
“Four men are dead following a brazen broad daylight shooting right here on the Coastal Highway. The automatic gun execution has brought this usually busy roadway to a standstill as police has closed this highway to all non-essential motorists. Crime scene technicians are currently on the scene combing the area for evidence, trying to figure out exactly what happened and who may have been responsible.”
Stacy Smith
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“ The identity of the four male persons have been officially confirmed to be 16-year-old David Usher of Freedom Street, Belize City, 33-year-old Lloyd Leslie of Armadillo Street, Belize City, 23-year-old Robert Gladden of Freedom Street, Belize City, and 23-year-old Dayton Palacio of Freedom Street, Belize City. The investigating officer reported that upon his arrival, he observed a red Ford Escape which was overturned, which exhibited multiple apparent bullet holes. Upon closer inspection, he observed the unresponsive bodies of two male persons and also observed some 10 feet away from that vehicle the body of another male person which was similarly unresponsive. The investigator was also advised that a fourth occupant was rushed to the Southern Regional Hospital for medical attention. However, he succumbed to injuries that he sustained.”
The men were ambushed at one of the most isolated parts of the Belize District, mile twenty-one on the coastal plain highway, a remote stretch of the Belize District where phone and internet signal is poor. The shooting took place around 8:15 a.m. and police swarmed the highway to block traffic heading in and out. Quick police response resulted in a vehicle heading to Belize City being intercepted and the occupants inside being detained.
ASP Stacy Smith
“ No motive has been established in the course of this investigation. However, we have been able to intercept and impound a vehicle of interest and five male persons. The persons who are in detention and the vehicle impounded, they are from Belize City.”
Shane Williams
“Police say they were looking for at least one of the victims, Lloyd Leslie Jr for his connection to shootings in recent days.”
ASP Stacy Smith
“ As it relates to your earlier question whether, any of the deceased persons were a part of any prior detention for investigative purposes, I’m not able to confirm that. I think I saw something on social media indicating that, but, as you would appreciate, the day was a very hectic one, so I was not able to confirm that.”
Scenes of Crime technicians combed the area for more than five hours before traffic was allowed through shortly before two p.m. Police say more than fifty expended shells, from a high-powered rifle and a nine-millimeter pistol, were recovered from the scene. Police are now working to prevent further violence.
ASP Stacy Smith
“When it is rivalry between two opposite gang, opposing gang, that is one thing. But when it reaches a situation where there is an internal conflict or a struggle for leadership or an incursion, that makes policing these incidents even more difficult because we have persons who are very familiar with the turf or the way of operation of each other, and that makes it much easier for them to target each other.”
Shane Williams
“This horrific quadruple murder that took place here at Mile 21 on the Coastal Highway is a spill off from an extremely violent internal gang rivalry that started in Belize City and recently disturbed the peace in Maya Mopan. Now it has made its way to this isolated part of the Belize district and police are now scrambling to prevent further retaliation in Belize City. Reporting from the Coastal Highway, I’m Shane Williams for News 5.”
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