Tonight, a 13 year old school girl is fortunate to be alive after her family home was sprayed by gunshots. It happened last night between 7:30 and 8:00 on Kraal Road.
Her entire family escaped unscathed except for the 13 year old minor. One of the bullets grazed the underside of her right arm. It's a minor injury, but a few millimeters different in the bullet's trajectory, at it could have meant her life.
The family is furious and is demanding justice, only, not from police. Emanuel Pech reports.
A quiet evening was disturbed by a drive by shooting last night. It happened at the corner of Kut Avenue and Kraal Road, on South Side, Belize City.
This fresh dent on the side of the home is a tell-tale sign of this latest shooting incident.
Residents say they were just getting ready for supper when the gunshots rang out.
Witness - Sister of Grazed Victim
"When I heard blam, blam, I just got flat."
Reporter
"What was going through your mind at that time?"
Witness - Sister of Grazed Victim
"Where my kids at. When we came outside we asked for everyone and everyone was okay."
Everyone was okay, except for a 13 year old minor.
Witness - Sister of Grazed Victim
"We didn't know right away. It's when the whole thing done and we were asking where everyone was and we came outside and she started to bawl in pain that she got grazed."
Nothing serious but it was enough to leave the family shaken, especially because of the presence of so many children.
Witness - Cousin of Grazed Victim
"I had to grab my children while bullets were flying in my house. I am not into this and this is not the first time it happened."
Police are investigating this incident but they say they have little to go by, as the family is being reluctant to cooperate.
ASP Alejandro Cowo - OC, CIB Belize City
"Some time last night after 7:30 or minutes before 8, there were several shots fired at the Kraal Road area and as a result of that 18 shots being fired, a minor was grazed to the right side of her shoulder. She was issued with a medico form as what police protocol is, but they refused to seek medical attention and they have refused to make an official complaint to the police."
That reluctance may have something to do with the proximity of the victims and the perps.
Witness - Cousin of Grazed Victim
"I want them to know if they shot any of my children of my cousins - it's not going right so, because I will need no one to do them anything if they hurt my children. My children are innocent in this and they better know when they are coming and who they are coming to. They have to remember that people have kids."
Meanwhile police are investigating all angles of this incident.
Reporter
"Do you know if this shooting is gang related?"
ASP Alejandro Cowo - OC, CIB Belize City
"Yes it is gang related."
Reporter
"You have identified those 2 suspects?"
ASP Alejandro Cowo - OC, CIB Belize City
"We know of 2 names, but we have not detain them so far."
Authorities remain vigilant for any potential retaliation. Reporting for 7 news Emanuel Pech.
Police say they are looking for two persons of interest but have not made any arrests so far. In the meantime, mediation efforts to avoid any potential escalation of the situation are well in progress.
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