Belize City faces mounting public safety concerns as a series of brazen daylight shootings targeting notorious street figure Jahreem Staine, alias ’32’, have placed innocent civilians in the crossfire. The latest incident occurred on a crowded basketball court in Lake-I, where automatic weapon fire injured Staine and three other young men, sending bystanders scrambling for safety.
This shooting represents merely the most recent chapter in a dangerous pattern. On September 3rd, 2025, assailants unleashed nearly three dozen shots at Staine minutes after he left Magistrate’s Court along busy Coney Drive, terrifying residents and schoolchildren from the nearby Buttonwood Bay Nazarene Primary School. Less than a month later, a high-speed shooting on the Phillip Goldson Highway wounded two Belize Defense Force soldiers and panicked commuters.
Despite multiple attempted murder charges and police warnings, Staine continues to secure release through the judicial system. Currently on bail for contempt of court and alleged gang activity—while still facing charges for the attempted murder of rival Jimmy Rojas—his public appearances consistently trigger violent retaliation.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith confirmed authorities are reviewing surveillance footage capturing the basketball court shooting, noting that Staine had recently been fined for violating previous bail conditions rather than remanded into custody. The recurrence of these public shootings has ignited serious debate about whether courts and lawmakers should implement more stringent measures for high-risk suspects to better protect public safety.