7 News Belize

Six Persons Shot in 12 Hours In City
posted (July 5, 2010)
Barrera became the sixth person shot on the city's Southside in a 12 hour period. No one else was seriously hurt in the shootings which happened on Saturday night but that has more to do with luck than anything else. No one knows that better than a pair of women who were on a verandah on Banak Street when shots rang out around 10:00 pm. Monica Bodden found out more:....

Monica Bodden, Reporting
The bullet holes on this zinc fence and the ones in the concrete wall of this cement house-was all that was left on this shooting scene.

The shooting happened on Saturday night around 9:45 at number 4 Banak Street. A group of ladies - all friends - were sitting on this verandah talking when two male persons rode up on separate bicycles - one of who was armed - and began firing shots at them.

Two of the females were hit - Dorris Moreira and Adelina Alvarez. Moreira was shot 3 times to her right leg while Alvarez was shot once to her right knee.

Dorris Moreira, Shooting Victim
"Saturday Night I was with my friends Rozina, Gary and about five of us were sitting of the veranda talking about our own little thing, because it was her daughters' birthday, so we were sitting there and all we knew was that two young men came up and two bicycles and the young men just stopped and fired on her house, I was not conscious that I was shot, when I reach inside of the house that was when I dropped and then I heard that the gun shot were still being fired."

Police have detained 28 year old Jervis Valencia and two other minors for questioning in connection with Saturday night shooting. But in this interview, the shooting victim says there was no way Valencia could have been involved in that shooting - since he was one of the very first on the scene to assist them.

Dorris Moreira
"Myself and the young lady Tiny that got shot, she was on the floor, and when she was on the floor I was on the bed, Jervis Valencio came in along with some other friends and asked us where we got shot, and that is how the police came, my girlfriend call the police and the police came. Jervis was still in there helping us and that is how they took us to the Hospital. I recalled that I saw Jervis in the room helping us. First of all he asked me, 'Where did you get shot' and I told him in my foot, then he was helping to pick up my girlfriend that was on the floor. When the police came he was still in the room helping us."

For this shooting victim -Saturday night's shootout was one of her most frightening experiences.

Dorris Moreira
"I was scared, first time I got scared, I am telling you I was frightened, although I was shot, I was frightened. This thing needs to stop. I got shot and it was my first time."

Dennis Smith is believed to have been the target of Saturday night's shooting for unknown reasons. Smith, who is a resident of Jane Usher Boulevard, was standing at the gate talking with the ladies when the two gunmen rode up.

And minutes after that shooting there was another just a block away across Central American boulevard on the other side of Banak Street. Three men were shot as they were standing in a yard in front of #16 Zericote Street in the Lake Independence Area. Michael Young Jr., was shot to the left knee, Earl Pitts to the left leg, and a 17 year old minor to the lower back. Those in the area saw two men approach from the direction of Banak Street one armed with a hand gun and fired several shots at them. Police have detained 28 year old JERVIS VALENCIA for this shooting as well. In this case he is detained along with two minors for questioning.

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