On August 5, 2026, law enforcement officials in Belize formally filed murder charges against 24-year-old Lennox Linford Gentle, a Belize City-based labourer, for the June killing of 29-year-old Kiffer McKenzie. The shooting, which unfolded in broad daylight on one of Belize City’s busy thoroughfares, Albert Street, left McKenzie dead and has sent ripples of shock through the already violence-weary local community. What makes the attack even more chilling is that McKenzie’s two young children were seated inside his vehicle when the gunman struck, according to official police accounts.
Authorities outline that the attacker rode up to McKenzie’s position on a motorcycle, stopped beside the vehicle, and fired multiple rounds before immediately speeding away from the scene. Though critically wounded, McKenzie made a desperate attempt to escape by driving away from the attack site, only to lose control of his vehicle and crash into a car that was parked along the street. He was pronounced dead shortly after, succumbing to the gunshot injuries he sustained during the assault.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, crime scene investigators launched a full evidence collection operation. Investigators successfully recovered fingerprint samples from the scene, and also seized the suspect’s abandoned motorcycle and helmet to send for comprehensive forensic testing, which ultimately helped lead to Gentle’s arrest. Gentle is currently being held in police custody and is scheduled for arraignment in the coming days.
The public execution-style shooting has jolted Belize City, reigniting long-running community conversations about the persistent cycle of violent crime that plagues the urban center. For the McKenzie family, the tragedy is only the latest in a string of devastating losses: Kiffer McKenzie’s father and brother were both killed in violent incidents in previous years. Despite this history of trauma, relatives remember McKenzie as a man who was working diligently to turn his life around and build a stable, better future for himself and his two young children.