Nearly a month after a brazen daylight shooting left two people wounded—including a 5-year-old innocent bystander—in San Ignacio Town, Cayo District, law enforcement officials say they suspect the attack is connected to illicit drug operations.
The incident unfolded on the evening of August 3, 2026, just after 7:30 p.m. along Collins Boulevard, according to official police accounts. Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith, a staff officer with the Cayo Police Department, detailed the sequence of events in a official briefing confirming that 30-year-old Carlton McCoy, a man already known to local law enforcement, was the gunmen’s intended target.
Smith explained that McCoy had just exited a local business and was walking past a parked vehicle when he noticed the car’s rear window being lowered. Before he could react, an unidentified male suspect inside the vehicle opened fire, releasing multiple rounds in McCoy’s direction. Both McCoy and the 5-year-old minor, who was in the vicinity and not connected to McCoy or any underlying dispute, were struck by gunfire.
As of August 31, 2026, investigators have not released any updates on the conditions of the two victims, nor have they announced any arrests in connection with the attack. Police have not shared further details on what specific drug-related connections they believe motivated the attack, but confirmed the investigation remains active and ongoing.
This report is adapted from a transcribed broadcast of local evening news, with original Kriol-language testimony converted to standard English spelling for clarity.