BELIZE CITY — A routine midday scene along East Collet Canal transformed into a zone of terror on March 12, 2026, when a violent confrontation between police and armed assailants triggered mass panic among civilians. The incident originated when two gunmen targeted siblings Clinton and Kiandra Pou at a local food stall, unleashing a barrage of approximately thirty rounds.
Swift response from a nearby mobile police patrol unit initiated a high-speed pursuit through one of the city’s most congested commercial districts. The chase culminated in a dangerous exchange of gunfire near the Conch Shell Bay Market, forcing shoppers, vendors, and children to dive into the murky canal waters or seek cover in nearby properties to avoid stray bullets.
Eyewitness accounts describe scenes of utter chaos as twenty to thirty shots rang out during the confrontation. One fisherman present at the scene recounted his narrow escape: “I had to run into a yard. In this life right now is lent and the devil is busy. The officer looked at me and said ‘you are part of it.’ I said, how will I be a part of it and I dah wah fisherman.”
Police successfully apprehended both suspects following the shootout. Ryan Barnett, 40, identified as one of the attackers, sustained fatal injuries during the confrontation and later succumbed at the hospital. The second gunman was captured on a neighboring street, with authorities recovering at least one firearm. Clinton Pou, 29, who had previously survived two assassination attempts, died from his injuries at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. His sibling Kiandra Pou remains in stable condition.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith confirmed the department is investigating potential connections to last week’s murder of Edward Saldano, though no conclusive links have been established. The community remains deeply shaken by the daylight violence that turned ordinary errands into life-threatening situations, raising urgent questions about public safety and escalating urban violence in Belize City.