A brazen targeted shooting along Belize’s Philip Goldson Highway has left two local men hospitalized, with law enforcement officials linking the attack to an internal community dispute and successfully preventing an immediate follow-up act of retaliation, according to official police statements released this week.
The incident unfolded on the afternoon of May 5, 2026, when 37-year-old Hubert Baptist and 24-year-old Eric Frazer, both residents of Belize City, were traveling from Ladyville toward Belize City in their Nissan Rogue SUV. As the pair crossed the bridge near the 4.5-mile marker, they were confronted by multiple individuals riding in a gray Chevrolet Equinox. One of the passengers in the Equinox opened fire on Baptist and Frazer’s vehicle, unleashing a barrage of gunshots that forced the SUV to flip off the roadway.
First responders and police were alerted to the shooting at approximately 3:20 p.m., and officers arriving at the scene found the damaged Nissan Rogue off the main road, its body riddled with clear bullet holes. Both Baptist and Frazer were pulled from the wreckage and rushed to a local hospital for treatment. Authorities confirmed Wednesday that the two men are fortunate to have survived the attack, and both are currently listed in stable condition.
Unlike random highway violence that occasionally plagues regional routes, lead investigating officer Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith confirmed in an official briefing that early evidence points to a pre-planned attack tied to internal tensions. “From the information we have so far, it is connected to some internal rift in that area, being the area known as Backa-Land,” Smith stated in a briefing that aired on local evening television, the transcript of which forms the basis of this report.
Investigators are currently working through obtained security video footage from the area surrounding the shooting, which Smith says has already helped clarify potential suspects and the sequence of events leading up to the attack. Police have not yet announced any arrests in connection with the May 5 shooting, and the active investigation remains ongoing.
In a notable development that came less than 24 hours after the initial shooting, authorities confirmed they have already disrupted planned follow-up violence. Smith told reporters that Belize police moved quickly to intercept a vehicle Wednesday night that was linked to a planned retaliatory attack tied to the shooting, successfully stopping further bloodshed before it could begin.
Beyond immediate law enforcement operations to prevent escalating violence, the Belize Police Department has partnered with local social organizations and the Leadership Intervention Unit to address the root of community tensions in Backa-Land. Smith emphasized that sustaining public safety requires more than just police action, noting that collective responsibility across the community is critical to reducing cycles of retaliatory violence.
“What I will say is that we have met as a department and we have strategized how we can enhance what is on the ground. Our operations have yielded some success,” Smith said. “The department and the government’s response to incidents of such is not solely police related in terms of operations. It is also intervention related. And certainly, the Leadership Intervention Union and other social partners are being engaged to see how we can address this situation from a double partnership response. But as I continue to emphasize that citizen security is not only from a policing standpoint. It takes everybody to play a role.”