The Belizean communities of Ladyville and Lord’s Bank are confronting a surge of violent crime following the separate yet connected fatal shootings of two close friends on Sunday evening. Shakeem Ferguson, 26, and Elroy Bainton, 29, were killed within a mere thirteen minutes of each other, sending shockwaves through a neighborhood still grieving the murder of a security guard just one week prior.
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero, head of the National Crime Investigation Branch, the sequence of events began at approximately 5:32 p.m. on Joe Lewis Street. Ferguson was returning from a store when he was ambushed by assailants in a vehicle who fired multiple shots, inflicting fatal injuries. Shortly thereafter, at around 5:45 p.m., gunfire erupted on nearby Yellowtail Street, where Bainton was shot. He was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital but succumbed to his wounds.
Police investigations indicate the two victims had been socializing together prior to the attacks. ACP Romero stated that evidence suggests the men were specifically targeted and trailed, with the murders being ‘drug related’ and connected to an ‘internal issue’ within a local group. This revelation contrasts sharply with the perspective of Ferguson’s family. His sister, who spoke anonymously, described him as a man who would typically relax in an alleyway, socialize, and spend time with his one-year-old daughter. She expressed profound shock and confusion over the motive, stating, ‘I never expect something like this.’
The tragic incidents have exacerbated existing fears in the area. While police have found no direct link to the recent killing of BWS security guard Darwin Valerio, the cumulative effect of these events has left residents feeling increasingly vulnerable and alarmed. Authorities are currently reviewing surveillance footage and searching for two suspects connected to the vehicle used in the attacks.
