The 2 day Christmas holiday was cut short for a family in Belize City after their loved one, Daniel Hughes, was gunned down close to home. The 39 year old Fisherman of Aloe Vera Street was driving on a road close to his home yesterday afternoon when killers came it him. Emanuel Pech tells us what happened next, and how it is part of an ongoing blood feud in this neighborhood that has led to at least four deaths: 

Paulet Gibson - Sister-in-law of Deceased
"He was a tall, nice young man, no problem with nobody you know and was humble. Go to sea every day, come here hang out, when he's tired of hanging out here, he go home to his girlfriend or go to his other friend that he is hanging out with or so. That's all I know about him, I don't know that is any trouble man."

But trouble found him. Yesterday Daniel Hughes was ambushed in broad daylight within his own neighborhood.

Paulet Gibson
"He just come from sea yesterday, my daughter and my next little son and his daughter and son and his girlfriend gone with him to sea and they come and his girlfriend gone eat a plate of food from my niece. After that he asked his girlfriend if she was ready and she told him yes and they gone. When they must have reached around the lane and reach the next side then they call us and told us they shot up the vehicle and they shot him. When we went ou there was because the trooper was taking him already."

In this video taken by a bystander you can see the first police responders and the lifeless body of Hughes lying on the ground. In the distance a woman wails

As Police attempt to control the chaos on the street; guns ready, in case of any eventuality. Police say Hughes was driving a green Ford Ranger pickup on Tibruce Street shortly after 4 pm.

He was heading towards the river side when two men attacked him, one of them firing several shots in his direction.

The green pickup veered off the road and landed inside the drain. Hughes managed to scramble out, but collapsed on the road shortly after.

He was shot to the left side of his face and upper arm. At the scene police found 7 expended shells and one .9mm pistol with a magazine containing 3 live rounds.

Whether this gun was used to commit the crime or it was Hughes' self-defense weapon is still undetermined but police say they found the bloody pistol near the body of the victim.

So, what led to this latest brazen daylight homicide? Police say it all has to do with an old dispute that has spun out of control.

ASP Alejandro Cowo - OC CIB
"What we suspect is the ongoing rivalry at Tibruce Street between two families and we suspect that might be the cause of this incident that happened yesterday."

This rivalry that police mention is also suspected to have been the motivation behind the double murder on Aloe Vera Street back in March of this year. Two women were mortally wounded during that shooting, including a minor, and two others were injured, Daniel Hughes junior was one of them. According to police, since this dispute erupted it has claimed at least 4 lives.

And as to how far the origins of this dispute extend, both police and media have their doubts. 

Jules Vasquez
"We had heard reports that this whole thing started out as a dispute over some boat engines, something like that. Is this an extension of that?"

ASP Alejandro Cowo
"There are several reports that police have recorded amongst the two families. One is from way back in 2012 when there was a dispute where one of the guys were shot with a spear gun back in 2012. That involved the two families that we suspect."

In the meantime, the family is left with another body to bury and the police are left with another mess to clean up.

Paulet Gibson
"He was the provider for all of them even the girl that he was with. He take care of all of them, she have like 4 kids that he help mine her from they were small and I don't know."

ASP Alejandro Cowo
"We know that we can stop this if they cooperate along with us. Every day it is coming, this rivalry is increasing amongst those two families. So we as a society, I think especially in that neighborhood, if you want to put an end to it we come together and let us assist the police in trying to solve this situation."