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On Friday night at around 8:00, 18 year-old Anthony Smith was riding his bicycle near the intersection of Central American Boulevard and Freedom Street when he was shot several times by an assailant who hid in the bushes. Daniel Ortiz found out why the on-duty police officers were not a deterrent when the gunman struck on Friday night:

Supt. Hilberto Romero - OC, CIB Eastern Division
"Around 8:50 p.m. police personnel visited the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where they saw Anthony Smith, 18 years old, with multiple gunshots to the abdomen, to the chest and one gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead thereafter and an investigation was carried out. Information is that he was riding a bicycle on Central American Boulevard near the intersection with Freedom Street when he was approached by a male person who fired several shots at him."

Daniel Ortiz reporting
Eyewitnesses tell us that the gunman came from behind this fence in the darkness, and when he was ready, he took aim and fired the deadly shots at Smith. Police were only a stone's throw away - less than 200 yards under this bus stop - when the attack was conducted. But, this gunman would be undeterred by the prospect of being caught. He brazenly carried out the street execution. That send the responding officers into a frenzy of activity to try to catch this gunman.

Supt. Hilberto Romero
"Police personnel were in the immediate area, they pursued one person and there was an exchange of gunshots and that led to the recovery of a 9mm pistol and the suspect fled from the area."

Smith's assailant managed to escape from the pursuing police. However, they did manage to recover the gun that he used to kill the teenager, which he also used to open fire upon them.

Supt. Hilberto Romero
"The 9mm pistol was found somewhere in that general area where there was the exchange of gunshots."

The investigators believe that they have a motive for this shooting.

Supt. Hilberto Romero
"This individual had some problems with some guys in that area. The information we gathered, he had received some threats and that culminated with him being shot to death at that area."

Smith's family who lives on Sunset Drive in the Corozal Grove area firmly declined media interviews. His facebook page notes that he was a recent graduate of Saint John's College High School in Belize City. Reports to us say he was hanging out with some dangerous characters in the Jane Usher area.