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A red tide of violence has washed over Belize: 7 people have been murdered and 7 injured countrywide since Sunday afternoon.  

Six of those murders have been in the city, and one happened this afternoon at the corner of Orange and West Streets, a known hotspot for warring gangs.  At 3:15, two gunmen fired shots randomly, and innocent people were the victims. 

Two Bowen and Bowen deliverymen were the main ones caught in the line of fire - and one of them died on the street.  21 year old Derrick King was doing his delivery work when the gunmen opened fire.  King was shot multiple times and died on the spot.  His co worker Haywood Brown was shot in the shoulder.  

Two other persons who were simply passing by were also shot.  Fortunately, their injuries were minor, one 48 year old woman shot to the foot, while a 38 year old man who shot above the knee.  All three of those shooting victims are stable.  

But, King, who started working at Bowen and Bowen three years ago was not so lucky - he came right in the line of fire, and died where he fell at the corner of West Street.   Notably, this is exactly where Channel 5 employee Steven Ferguson was also blamelessly shot on Sunday night as he sat in his vehicle - but he was only grazed to the back.

Also of note is that there is a fixed police presence in the area - because it is a permanent hotspot for gunfire between gang rivals.  That block has witnessed countless shootings and many murders over the years - including a 12 year old boy.  

Again, this time, it is an innocent victim, a working man making deliveries.  His employer Bowen and Bowen Beverages issued a release this evening saying, quote, “there were no signs of attempted robbery… and we are working with Police Investigators to learn more details about this tragedy. (The company) is assisting the families of both deliverymen, and we deeply regret the loss of…Derrick King.