Important Note: This Internet version of 7 News is a verbatum
transcript of our evening television news script. Many interviews on our newscast
are conducted in Creole. In the interest of clarity for our foreign readers,
we attempt to paraphrase the Creole quotes in English
Tonight, police are on high alert as gang tensions soar following a lawless daylight murder. The brazen killing shattered the peace of the Saturday morning rush hour on Albert Street, unfolding in front of a crowded strip of pedestrians and traffic.
The victim: a 29-year-old father of three and a public officer, who was also the son of one of the city's most legendary gang figures, the now-deceased George "Juni Balls" Mckenzie. Jaleeza Roberts reports:
On Saturday morning, in the middle of the Albert street rush, Kiffer Mckenzie was targeted and killed in his vehicle with his two children in the back seat. It was his daughter's birthday and he was on his way to take her to get her hair braided when he was targeted by a brazen gunman on motorcycle.
It happened here at the corner of Albert and Orange Street where McKenzie was driving this blue Jeep Cherokee when the gunman pulled up and opened fire - hitting him multiple times - and grazing his daughter.
He accelerated won Albert Street to escape, but, he was injured too badly and here, at the corner with Bishop Street, he crashed into a parked car and came to a stop. Panic ensued in downtown as shoppers heard shots ringing out:
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer "A review of the camera system at the fusion center showed that Mckenzie had parked at the corner of Albert and Orange street when a male person who wore a face covering helmet came off a motorcycle and approached the vehicle and fired several shots which resulted in the eventual fatal demise of Mckenzie."
"Through the use of the technology at the crime fusion center, the investigators were able to trace what we believe to be the motorcycle that was utilized in the incident as well as the helmet shortly after the incident occurred. These items were processed by Scenes of Crime technician who were able to lift fingerprints from both the motorcycle and the helmet and they have also secured the helmet with a view to conduct further processing for DNA purposes."
His mother has now lost her only surviving son: In August 2007, her husband, legendary gang leader George Juni Balls Mckenzie, and then in August 2016 her older son George Mckenzie Jr was murdered. And now 10 years later, her last surviving son was murdered:
Aug.28th, 2007
"George Junie Balls Mckenzie was regarded with the type of awe usually reserved for only political leaders but tonight George Junie Balls Mckenzie former leader of the Ghosttown Crips is dead, Junie Balls was Killed last night in an execution style murder near his home in pinks alley."
"McKenzie Jr. was stabbed to death early Sunday morning at a soca concert at the ITVET according to Mckenzie's family, his brother and his sister in law. They were all enjoying the soca vibes when two men went top to Mckenzie and his crew wanting to start a fight the girls tried to make peace between the men and the guys left, only to return a couple minutes later to stab Mckenzie from behind as he was dancing with his girlfriend."
And trying to break this cycle of violence, the mother tried her best to get all her sons educated and away from a life where they were at risk. Kiffer had finished his associates degree and was set to start his bachelor's in August. He was a father of three and a valued employee at the Immigration Department. When we spoke with one of his relatives off camera, she said that he always took care of his people but the reputation of his father always found a way to precede him:
VOICE OF: RELATIVE OF KIFFER "He was a hard working youth you know, work hard for his kids and his family. He has his little son, has his little daughter, has a little niece that he takes care of from his dad died. From his big brother died and he's the one who took over that father figure job for his niece you know, he takes care of his little niece and the man he give people work around here to do. When nothing is going on and thing, you can always depend on him to make an ends and make something happen for you. He wasn't a troublesome boy like how people are painting the man."
"Where you come from they label you as, you get the sense, just because you come out of a hood, you come of Majestic so that's how people paint you because you're from a hood, you know? Although you aren't carrying out those bad measures or doing a lot of simpleness that people are doing. Like I said, young boy he took care of everybody: when he eats, we eat you know? So it's just where he comes from."
Youth program coordinator Douglas Hyde knew Kiffer and his entire family - and remembers him as a natural leader who wanted change:
Douglas Hyde, National Youth Program & Public Relations Coordinator Office of the COMPOL "He was this passionate positive youth, he did not want that gang life and many times he told me that this isn't the life I want, I son't want to be in my dad's footsteps. All of my life I wanted to do things different and better and I knew he was passionate about that, that he wanted to change his life and do better so when Kiffer graduated from 6th form and he actually got that job from immigration department, he was one of the most happiest dude I could ever recall. I went to his workplace couple times, to talk to him to visit with him and he was all excited to tell you what he was learning and how things were happening and going on with his life and stuff like that."
"And I know in his past he worked very closely with me in the William Dawson peace cup and the William Dawson basketball tournaments. He was very instrumental in bringing these guys together from Majestic alley to want to participate and compete in these competitions."
"I wanted to bring him on as a program coordinator to help assist when it comes to programs in the LIU because Kiffer has a influential-ness about him that he can bring some of these guys from the different communities together but also to look at how we can utilize persons like him to be part of the LIU better than what we have been doing for the past couple years."
Despite all the efforts to ensure he did not meet the same fate as his father and his brother, on Saturday the grip of gang violence found him - and in the most graphic way: killed in front of his children on Belize's main street.
Jaleeza Roberts, 7 News.
Police have since detained one person of interest in relation to the shooting.
His employer, the Ministry of Immigration has released a statement saying, quote, "Kiffer's commitment to public service, his professionalism, and his presence within our Ministry family will be remembered with respect and gratitude."
And while that was the first murder of the weekend, the last happened on Sunday night and it was equally devastating.
Today a 17-year-old would have sat his final exams, but now his family is preparing to bury him after he was gunned down in front of his mother inside their home.
Jomarie Lanza spoke to the grieving mother of Derrick Morris, and also visited his school this morning. Here's what she learned about the teenager from his loved ones and his peers.
They were about to sit-down for a meal when everything happened right here at their home on Crown Street. 17 year old Derrick Morris was gunned down right before his mother's eyes. And when we spoke with her today she was still unable to process how she lost her youngest child in the split of a second.
Natasha Westby, Mother of deceased "We heard talking outside but didn't hear the dogs barking because the dogs knew the persons them because you know dogs only bark when anyone passes, so he peeped but he opened the door a little and when he opened the door it looks like the person were right on the corner and when he opened the door he got frightened he didn't know which way to run because they 2 guys hauled open the door and the ran inside but he was trying to get away, and this place is one way in and one way out then when they got it they ran in and fired at him."
Jo- "So you saw everything when it happened?"
Natasha Westby, Mother of deceased "Yes I was frightened so frightened I couldn't move because I wanted to know if they would have killed me too. But I was frightened and lost lost I almost couldn't catch my breathe. To see my baby die in front of me."
Westby says that she believes her son was targeted because of a bicycle feud, something that they had taunted her son with for months.
Natasha Westby, Mother of deceased "They were threatening him long time because of a bike, from last year when they stole his bike but he left it alone because its only material things you can always get back a bike always. But the boys are always passing here he and his next brother passing here threatening them, throwing words at them, tell them watch what will catch them, watch it. But my boy got tired because he doesn't bother them he goes to school and he comes home then he relaxes in there only me and he are here."
And like Westby said, when Derrick wasn't at home, he was at school. And today he would have taken his final exams here at Sadie Vernon Technical high school. They placed a candle and a picture of him on his chair this morning.
Deborah Martin, Principal, Sadie Vernon Technical High School "So for them to come to class this morning in a mind set to complete their exams they were very very saddened by that information or that news we had to have our school councillor go in the class and do a session, a grief and loss session for short period of time before they move into their exams, and we still have a few of them who are expressing the hurt that they felt from such a news or such a loss."
"Actually this is the third student for this school year that we have lost. We have lost 3. One due to illness, the second one he was knocked down and now we have the third Derrick who was shot last night so this year has been rough because besides 3 students we had a board member that we lost and a cafeteria cook so in all it is 5 people we have lost during this school year so we take it day by daughter it is certainly a shock. Words cannot express a loss, we are walking around just having to accept these things that occur that we have absolutely no control over."
And it's a loss that hit particularly hard at this school. We asked Martin and a few of Derrick's classmates what they will remember the most about him at school
Deborah Martin, Principal, Sadie Vernon Technical High School "He was short in stature but big in personality so I have seen him a couple of times in my office because he had a little personality on him. However he loved to play football and he was working hard on being promoted to fourth form.So last week I remember clearly when I visited the different classrooms that he was in and the teachers said to the other students that they need to work as hard as derrick to get into fourth form so when I heard the news last night, it was really, really really sad."
Jo- "How would you want to remember Derrick how would you want people to remember him?"
Tamisha Hill, Classmate of Deceased "By his laughter, his shortness, how playful he was. He was never a mean person to anyone and even if he didn't like you he would still try to be your friend, talk to you, mess with you always."
Jo- "What's a memory that you have with him?"
Jaden Hower, Classmate of Deceased "Hmmm playing football, football has the most memories I know because he loved to play football loved that."
And for Derrick's mother the loss of her youngest child is incomprehensible for her, after he had just turned 17 less than a week ago.
Natasha Westby, Mother of deceased "My mind isn't with me right now, it's too late. I don't know what to say. He was a kind person you know he doesn't mess with anyone and they always want to take him like he is a bad person but he is not a bad person."
"I pray that they catch them. I pray to the good lord that they catch them and lock them up. I am in so much pain right now, I pray that they catch them."
Jo- "Would you say you were close to your son?"
Natasha Westby, Mother of deceased "Yes because he is my baby. His birthday just went Wednesday, he turned 17 right here and then for them, as he turned 27 they take away his life? For what a bike? For his own bike?"
ASP Stacy Smith later confirmed this afternoon that the motive for the murder was a bicycle based on what they have learned from their investigations.
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer "Following the review of video footage at the Crime Fusion Center, police have detained one male person in connection with the shooting incident that resulted in the murder of 17 year old Derrick Dennis Morris of Belize City which occurred on Sunday 14th June 2026, at around 10:35PM. What we have learned so far is that Morris was at his residence on Crown Street when 2 persons went to that residence and called out for an occupant of the house and when the young Mr Morris opened the door he was met with gunfire. As it relates to motives so far the indication is that this is the consequence of a dispute over a bicycle involving the minor and the detained suspect who is also a minor, someone who is 18 years old."
And in another area of the city, a man was killed, and it might just have been that he wore the wrong color clothing in the wrong neighborhood.
Call Center employee Eric Nelson had on a red shirt as he rode his motorcycle on Lakeview Street on Saturday night - hours after they had killed Kiffer Mckenzie, who was a Crip, loyal to the color blue.
And Nelson, even though he was not gang-affiliated, his red shirt triggered a gunman to open fire on him. He was seriously injured and died hours later.
It's a totally senseless murder and police are working to detain suspects. ASP Smith confirmed that the victim is not known to police for any gang affiliations.
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer "Police are investigating the murder of 25 year old Eric Nelson which occurred on Saturday 13th June 2026 at 6:58Pm the investigation commenced when officers responded to reports of a shooting incident on Lakeview street Belize City where upon their arrival they observed a gravely injured Eric Nelson who was suffering from a gunshot injury. What we have learned so far is that Nelson was in the company of another person walking on Lakeview street when a person emerged from behind a fence and fired a single shot resulting in mr Nelson's untimely demise. We have not been able to establish a motive at this time and we can confirm that Mr Nelson is not known to police however we are pursuing the angle given the circumstances at hand that this incident may be as a consequence of heightened tensions with the passing of Mr Mackenzie and there may have been some misapprehension on the part of the shooter that Mr Nelson was an enemy within their territory. Police investigation continues."
"However we are reviewing it from the aspect that there was heightened tensions with the passing of Mr McKenzie and we know that Lakeview Street area is affiliated with the Majestic Alley. As I said there may have been some misapprehension."
And out in Caye Caulker, police are investigating another fatal incident, one they have classified as a death investigation, and not a murder. ASP Smith explained why and what they have come to learn about the deceased.
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer "Police are seeking one male person in connection with an investigation into the death of 45 year old Oscar Genaro Flota of Caye Caulker which occurred at round 8:25pm on Saturday 13th of June 2026. What has been learned thus far in the course of this investigation is that Mr Flota was in a group of several male persons socializing when an argument and a physical confrontation ensued during in time Mr Flota was struck to the head with a shovel. He was transported for medical attention however he subsequently passed."
"At this point it is a death investigation because for murder there has to be an intent to kill and an absence of someone acting in self defense. The indication that we have received so far from the statements that are on file suggests that there was a physical altercation if the investigation shows that the force used was excessive or there was an intention to kill it will progress to that but, however, where we are now in relation to the statements that we have was that there was a physical altercation between the deceased and the person who is being sought. So that is the status as of now."
ASP Smith also confirmed that the group had been drinking.
Former Government Warehouse Manager Ezbert Ramclam is free of theft charges after the case against him was dismissed in the Belize City Magistrate's Court today. Ramclam appeared unrepresented before a Senior Magistrate, where the matter had been scheduled to proceed to trial. However, the virtual complainant - which is the Government of Belize - failed to appear in court, prompting the magistrate to dismiss the charge and discharge Ramclam.
The 45-year-old had been charged in April 2025 with the theft of 43 Lenovo Chromebook laptops belonging to the Government of Belize. The laptops were reportedly valued at $787.50 each, for a total value of $33 thousand dollars.
According to the allegations, between February 18 and February 28, 2025, Ramclam stole the laptops from a storage facility located at the Government Bookstore compound on Saint Joseph Street in Belize City.
Outside the courthouse following the dismissal, Ramclam maintained his innocence, stating that investigators never had evidence against him and that he was charged only because his name had been mentioned during the investigation:
Ezbert Ramclam "They have to dash out the case because they don't have no evidence on me. Somebody called my name for something I never did."
Reporter "All right, so tell me how long a year ago this was an allegation made against you?"
Ezbert Ramclam "A year and a half."
Reporter "Okay, and what are you gonna do, press charges and sue the government? What?"
Ezbert Ramclam "Well, I don't know what will happened because they got me not working for a year and a half. And I need to start make back some money, so I don't know what will happen."
Reporter "So you lost your job over this?"
Ezbert Ramclam "Yeah, I wasn't working."
Reporter "They fire you?"
Ezbert Ramclam "They never fire me, but a little misunderstanding, I didn't go to work. But now, I win the case and they don't have no evidence on me. They charge me for something I didn't do."
Reporter "Are you gonna ask for a job?"
Ezbert Ramclam "Not really, but I don't know what will happen after this, but something will happen."
He was the cop convicted of killing 14-year-old Laddie Gillet in Placencia and sentenced to 18 years in jail for it. And now, the Court of Appeal has upheld that Supreme Court decision.
Kareem Martinez's attorney Bryan Neal appealed saying his client did not fire the fatal shot that killed the deceased; he only fired a warning shot in the air and another police officer shot the deceased. He claimed that the trial judge, quote, "misdirected herself by placing the evidential burden of proof on the Appellant and treated his admission of the firing in the air as conclusive of his guilt."
In its decision, the panel of judges called that an unfair and baseless criticism. The three judges in their deliberations sided with Assistant DPP Javier Chan, and Crown Counsel Maria Nembhard Santana, when they found that the trial judge's decision was sound and concluded that the ground of appeal had no merit. With that the appeal was dismissed.
He was accused of murder but Doratian Salam has been sentenced to 16 years for manslaughter in the 2022 killing of Kevin Williams, following a judge-alone trial in the High Court's Southern District.
The verdict was delivered by Justice Antoinette Moore on March 23, 2026. Salam had been charged with the murder of Williams, who died after suffering multiple stab wounds during an altercation in Dangriga Town on October 8, 2022.
He pleaded not guilty when the matter went to trial in October 2025.
In her judgment, Justice Moore found that the evidence established beyond a reasonable doubt that Salam inflicted the fatal injuries and that there was no lawful justification for the attack. However, the court was not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Salam intended to kill Williams, a necessary element for a murder conviction. Without that element, she convicted him of manslaughter.
Salam was represented by Attorney Arthur Saldivar while Javier Chan, Assistant DPP represented the Crown.
A Trinidadian national visiting Belize made waves when he appeared on a YouTuber's platform claiming to be in charge of a $125 million project.
When he was reported missing weeks later in Trinidad, it certainly raised alarms; he had said he was a Procurement Specialist in charge of a $125 million US dollar project.
And that's why when he was reported missing in Trinidad, it raised alarms in Belize.
Well, it turns out he wasn't missing after all; this procurement specialist was also a malpago specialist. Police told us more:
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer "Yes I can confirm that on 29th of May 2026 police formally arrested and charged 47 year old Rubindra Dale Rampersad a Trindadian national for the offense of making off without payment as a consequence of a report made by a manger of Golden Bay limited that he had booked their room for a period of, I believe, a month. And from the initial date that he would have booked, he used a credit card but that credit card gave trouble and after numerous attempts and communication that still failed. However they noted that on 29th May he had departed and that information was communicated and due to liaising with the police officials at the airport he was intercepted there and subsequently charged for making off without payment, taken before the court and he is currently remanded at the Belize central prison."
Twenty-year-old Lester Martinez was killed in an ATV accident last weekend while traveling from Esperanza to Georgeville. Police have since charged the driver who crashed into him. ASP Smith gave us those details today.
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer "As a consequence of the ongoing investigation into the road traffic accident which claimed the life of Thomas Lester Martinez, police have formally arrested and charged Jaimen Chen for the crimes of Manslaughter by negligence and causing death by careless conduct and the offense of drove motor vehicle without due care and attention."
In Punta Gorda, police arrested and charged a senior citizen for drug trafficking after he attempted to board a bus at the terminal with the drugs in his possession.
ASP Stacy Smith explained how police apprehended him.
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer "Police have formally arrested and charged 65 year old John Gabourel of Jose Maria Nunez street of Punta Gorda for the offense of possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply. This arrest follows a search of Mr Gabourel on Friday 12th June as he exited a terminal with a manila envelope. The search of the envelope led to the discovery of 2 transparent plastic bags containing suspected cocaine amounting to 57.79 grams."
A couple was also recently charged after police found a firearm in their house in San Pedro. ASP Smith gave us more details on the operation that led to the discovery of the weapon.
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer "Police have formally arrested and jointly charged Balbino Camara and Melissa Mendez of San Pedro town for the offense of kept firearm without a gun license and kept ammunition without a gun license. The arrest follows the execution of a search warrant at their residence on Wednesday by intelligence, and operations personnel which resulted in the discovery of a rugged brand 9mm pistol which contained 6 live rounds of 9mm ammunition."
A family alleges that the GI3 unit constantly harasses them at their home in the Gungulung area. The resident who spoke with us off camera today claimed that the GI3 searches their residence 3 or more times a day. Today, however, they crossed a line when an officer allegedly pulled his weapon in front of her child and fired shots while searching the property behind their house. She gave us more details off camera about what occurred today.
We don't ever hear from them but the Integrity Commission's legal mandate is large: it is tasked with investigating conflicts of interest and ensuring transparency among public officials.
Their duties include examining financial declarations of public officers, monitoring compliance and investigating allegations of corruption. And today, the newly appointed or re-appointed members of the commission were sworn in. The chairperson, Andrea McSweaney McKoy explained more.
Andrea Mcsweaney Mckoy, Chairlady, Integrity Commission "The integrity commission is charged with ensuring that there is not corruption in public life, persons in public life would include members of the House of Representatives, the upper and lower houses, and it's a very practical way of getting it done in which we take their financial declaration at the beginning when they are first appointed to public life and then every year throughout that time so a net worth is made to gauge what are they earning, what are they acquiring, and so on and then making references and analyses to see whether there may be corruption."
"A goal that we've made for the organization is to create a culture of compliance where one, members of public life actually comply with the law and filed their declarations and secondly knowing that there is some measure of accountability that they make decisions that are actually in line with the laws in terms of how they acquire property and how they handle the great trust that they have on them so it's really grave."
Last week Thursday, we showed you how the first heavy June rains shredded the Coastal Road and flooded Hope creek. While that road was designed with to be climate resilient, the disaster risk has increased due to deforestation in the area.
According to the Chairperson of the Maya Forest Corridor Trust, destroying natural water retention areas leads to increased flooding. Dr Elma Kay spoke with us via Zoom.
Dr Elma Kay, Chairperson, Maya Forest Corridor Trust "Mother Nature does have natural solutions, take for example the Coastal Road, that area contains a lot of ecosystems that probably on an everyday basis, we do not take any consideration of. Just coming by the Belize Zoo from Belize City, you see these savannas, these wetlands, these seasonally inundated broadleaf forests so they look like forests but they're shorter, every season they're inundated, these are water retention zones, they are mother nature's way of controlling those flows of water. And so the more disturbance we have intensified by these global climate change patterns then it doesn't really make us resilient and that's what we're experiencing so for a country like Belize where we are not the ones to blame necessarily for the global climate change patterns, the only option we have is to be able to build our resilience and our adaptive capacity and we can do that through not natural engineering solutions which are basically our savannas, our wetlands, our seasonally inundated forests that are the water retention zones that control those flows."
"We're seeing area that were typically not targeted because I was watching some of the news regarding the stuff on the Hummingbird that's been happening and there's a lot of people that have a history of the area and have said nobody will develop those areas because they are known to be flood plains, areas that hold water during these times so it's not surprising that if we are bringing down these ecosystems we are lowering our resilience and adaptive capacity."
In the case of Mountain View - a relatively new Mennonite Community on the Hummingbird Highway-residents faced flooding so severe they had to be rescued and evacuated. Dr Kay explained that farmers are moving onto land masses unsuitable for agriculture, and chances are their main goal is export, not food security.
Dr Elma Kay, Chairperson, Maya Forest Corridor Trust "I would say that the expansion for these large agricultural areas, there is this lack of large expanses of land and so they're starting to move in these non traditional zones that require a lot of drainage and so you can do agriculture in areas that can be drained so you can engineer your way through that but then where does the natural water when it comes go? And I think what we have to ask ourselves as a nation because the argument repeated over and over that we have to eat, that these agricultural project make us food secure and yes they have indeed but currently we have been food secure for a while."
"The expansion isn't for food security anymore, the expansion is really for export and I think as a nation we have to ask ourselves, is that where we can best make our money and does that type of development pay for the damages it does to people so certain people will benefit from those developments but where does the extra flood water go?"
"If you're going to do that type of intensive pesticide heavy chemical heavy agriculture then I think we also have to look at who's paying the cost for the effects downstream of that."
Dr Kay also noted that EIA regulations need to be stricter, since many perpetrators aren't deterred by the fine.
And, finally tonight, we're still following up on that practice we uncovered last week, which is called "structuring" - breaking down payments from the Treasury in amounts below $10,000 so that they can escape the scrutiny of the Ministry of Finance.
We saw it used 494 times over 5 years with Minister of State for Defence Oscar Mira's sister, Jenny, when she received payments from the Ministry of Defence.
Last week, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing Julius Espat said there are practical uses for it in his ministry especially when they have to pay for emergency road works. He said that without that sub - 10,000 dollar discretionary payment, it would be impossible to run the government:
Jules Vasquez "Are you, or does your ministry practice this sub $10,000 disbursement with its suppliers, maybe for good and clear reason to avoid the red tape of having to go to Finance?"
Julius Espat, Minister - MIDH "Well, the regulation is clear. At certain levels, you have to report to certain people."
"What you try to do is you have layers. For example, a trucker needs something, he has to come in by certain departments and it has to be approved of the departments before it reaches the CEO."
"And so we try to be as equitable as we can with it. But it does happen, no doubt. If it doesn't happen, Jules, government shuts down, especially a ministry like us."
Jules Vasquez "Do you all in MIDH have a pattern like this? It's called structuring or smurfing. They call it smurfing to, where you break down payments so that I could pay you 20,000. But in four payments, a $5,000 that can pass below the radar."
"Is it something that your ministry does?"
Julius Espat, Minister - MIDH "We haven't seen the need to do it. If there's one or two, for whatever reason, I haven't seen it. But I'm telling you that all small payments are mostly for truckers. The large majority is the hauling of material. And then another payment would be some of the rental of equipment that you would have to do."
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Tonight, police are on high alert as gang tensions soar following a lawless daylight murder. The brazen killing shattered the peace of the Saturday morning rush hour on Albert Street, unfolding in front of a crowded strip of pedestrians and traffic.
"A review of the camera system at the fusion center showed that Mckenzie had parked at the corner of Albert and Orange street when a male person who wore a face covering helmet came off a motorcycle and approached the vehicle and fired several shots which resulted in the eventual fatal demise of Mckenzie."
Douglas Hyde, National Youth Program & Public Relations Coordinator Office of the COMPOL 
And while that was the first murder of the weekend, the last happened on Sunday night and it was equally devastating.
"We heard talking outside but didn't hear the dogs barking because the dogs knew the persons them because you know dogs only bark when anyone passes, so he peeped but he opened the door a little and when he opened the door it looks like the person were right on the corner and when he opened the door he got frightened he didn't know which way to run because they 2 guys hauled open the door and the ran inside but he was trying to get away, and this place is one way in and one way out then when they got it they ran in and fired at him."
Deborah Martin, Principal, Sadie Vernon Technical High School
Jo- 
And for Derrick's mother the loss of her youngest child is incomprehensible for her, after he had just turned 17 less than a week ago.
And in another area of the city, a man was killed, and it might just have been that he wore the wrong color clothing in the wrong neighborhood.
And out in Caye Caulker, police are investigating another fatal incident, one they have classified as a death investigation, and not a murder. ASP Smith explained why and what they have come to learn about the deceased.
Ezbert Ramclam 
He was the cop convicted of killing 14-year-old Laddie Gillet in Placencia and sentenced to 18 years in jail for it. And now, the Court of Appeal has upheld that Supreme Court decision.
He was accused of murder but Doratian Salam has been sentenced to 16 years for manslaughter in the 2022 killing of Kevin Williams, following a judge-alone trial in the High Court's Southern District.
A Trinidadian national visiting Belize made waves when he appeared on a YouTuber's platform claiming to be in charge of a $125 million project.
Twenty-year-old Lester Martinez was killed in an ATV accident last weekend while traveling from Esperanza to Georgeville. Police have since charged the driver who crashed into him. ASP Smith gave us those details today.
In Punta Gorda, police arrested and charged a senior citizen for drug trafficking after he attempted to board a bus at the terminal with the drugs in his possession.
A couple was also recently charged after police found a firearm in their house in San Pedro. ASP Smith gave us more details on the operation that led to the discovery of the weapon.
We don't ever hear from them but the Integrity Commission's legal mandate is large: it is tasked with investigating conflicts of interest and ensuring transparency among public officials.
"The integrity commission is charged with ensuring that there is not corruption in public life, persons in public life would include members of the House of Representatives, the upper and lower houses, and it's a very practical way of getting it done in which we take their financial declaration at the beginning when they are first appointed to public life and then every year throughout that time so a net worth is made to gauge what are they earning, what are they acquiring, and so on and then making references and analyses to see whether there may be corruption."
Last week Thursday, we showed you how the first heavy June rains shredded the Coastal Road and flooded Hope creek. While that road was designed with to be climate resilient, the disaster risk has increased due to deforestation in the area.
Dr Elma Kay, Chairperson, Maya Forest Corridor Trust 
Julius Espat, Minister - MIDH