7 News Belize

Athlete Shot While Trying To Defend Himself
posted (April 17, 2012)
A Belize City student and outstanding athlete was shot last night while struggling to fight off two robbers.

Around 8:45 last night, Anthony Leslie was walking on Yarborough Road along with another student - heading home after classes - when two men approached them on separate bicycles and robbed them at gunpoint. Leslie tried to fight off his attackers when one of the men fired a shot at Leslie- hitting him to the lower right side of his back.

Some may just write it off as another southside shooting, but this evening his father gave us an emotional interview explaining that his son - an outstanding athlete, is lucky to be alive:..

Father of Anthony Leslie
"At this time he is trying to recover a gunshot to the back. He went through the operation to take out the bullets, so he is recovering."

Monica Booden
"Last night Anthony was coming home from school when this incident occurred?"

Father of Anthony Leslie
"School was over and he was on his way home. But he never did reach home. We got a phone call saying that he was rushed to the hospital. Just before he got shot I was standing at the junction to see him coming, as to many other evenings I would watch him coming home and we would walk home together."

"Last night I came all the way around just to exercise. As soon as I got in the house I heard he got shot."

Monica Bodden
"Did he manage to tell you anything like what happened?"

Father of Anthony Leslie
"Yes, I went over there and talk quite good. He told me that he has the heart of a lion because he is the lion man. He told me not to worry about anything, he will recover."

Monica Bodden
"He told you what happen last night?"

Father of Anthony Leslie
"He said that some guys approached him and they tried to hide their faces with their hats. They were trying to take away his stuff, and he just fought back. After they couldn't handle him (Anthony) they shot him."

Monica Bodden
"How would you describe your son, Mr. Muschamp? I am on Reggae and everyone has good things to say about him that he is a mannerly child for something like this to happen to him."

Father of Anthony Leslie
"He is a man amongst men."

Monica Bodden
"I see you are getting teary. You think that your son is lucky to be alive today? I know you guys did a lot of things together; a lot of races, a lot of...."

Father of Anthony Leslie
"Yes we did and he is not only my left hand. He is both my hands; my left and right. No complaints, no problems. He would say "no worry about nothing sir, we got that" every time."

Monica Bodden
"He won first place three times for the lion man junior?"

Father of Anthony Leslie
"Yes, he did it the first time when he was 15 to complete 16. He did it when he was 17 and 18. He rode a cross country from Chetumal border to Belize trying to do his thing, but due to education he can't follow up on bike that much."

Monica Bodden
"He did a lot more other competitions representing Belize?"

Father of Anthony Leslie
"Yes, he went abroad to compete and stuff like that."

Monica Bodden
"So now he is enrolled in junior college and working right?"

Father of Anthony Leslie
"Yes, he is working also to try to help himself. We are not rich, we don't have anything, but we have love, and he shows us love that we could live for him."

Leslie has won three junior triathlons - and many other events - and his father proudly displayed his impressive collection of medals and trophies to us this evening.

But right now he is a long way from that - he's recovering from a gunshot wound in the hospital.

Leslie underwent surgery this morning. And while he is recovering, police are still looking for his attackers.

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