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2025 had a scary start for a Belize City mother - after her 4 year old child was shot to the left arm a few minutes after midnight. It happened in the Jane Usher area during the roar of firecrackers and dynamite that blanketed the city to greet the new year. At 12:05 am, the four year old - who was held in her mother's arms on Levi Slusher Street - screamed out "mommy I get hurt!". The child was bleeding from her hand.
Today, that mother, a 24 year old from Belize City told me what happened next - she asked to appear off camera:
Amidst the noise of the fireworks, dynamite and other explosives at midnight for New Years, a 4 year old child, was hit by an alleged stray bullet while being held in her mother's arms outside on Levi Slusher Street. A relative gave us more details today as to how exactly it happened."
Voice of relative
"Basically me and my family was outside you know lighting up, my two brothers were lighting the fireworks for the babies because my daughter my niece my sister in law and the neighbor as well came over and others that live on the street as well and after his fireworks show, not even less than a minute my baby hand was up meaning that she was screaming excited for the fireworks and by the time she brought her hand down back she yelled mommy I got hurt so when u looked I saw a cut so I told my brother, I said like what happened to the baby and probably she said it could be a stone bounce off, when the fireworks went off and cut her so the neighbor said as well that's a stone and we thought it was a stone as well because when we saw the cut but bare in mind when we were going into the yard I looked down and saw like a hard object so I said the stone stayed in her hand. So my brother went upstairs got a cloth and tied it and told us let's take her to the hospital to see what it is to take it out."
But when they got to the hospital nothing prepared this family for what they would have found lodged in their four year old's arm. And in addition to this scare, according to the mother, her little one is unable to walk because she has cerebral palsy.
Voice of relative
"And when we finished the x ray came out that it was a bullet and then the doctor come she and her two doctors they numb the spot and got the surgical blade and did the process and when we finished an inspector was there and he just got my information and the baby's and said he would bring CIB and I waited but the doctor said Ms your baby needs to rest because it's late you can go and make the report another day or go from tonight."
But upon following through with the report, their relative claims that the interrogation lasted three hours with the police which she feels was unnecessary because allegedly they were attempting to insinuate that the child may have been hit by someone known to them.
Voice of relative
"This corporal I won't say her name but she wanted me to make a confession about oh it was someone in my surroundings take out a firearm and let out a shot because basically they know that many of my family members have a license firearm as well and yes they were in the vicinity with us but nothing like that happens so how will I confess something that is not like that and the questions and oh I don't want you to lie for your family members, tell the truth. All the interrogation questions."
"Yes I was frustrated bad Ms because I kept telling this lady what happened and she wanted to put words in my mouth. But at the end of the day it's her job, it's them who interrogates you to make you try and tell them something that isn't true so they can get their job done easy. So I was frustrated I was frustrated that night."
While police dispute the claim of a gunshot injury, an X-ray was conducted on the child where it was determined that the injury was due to a gunshot wound and a slug was removed from here left arm.
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