As we told you at the top of the news: the body of a murdered man was found today in the dike area off Faber's Road. And now, this evening at 6:30, there was a shooting in that same area except it happened on Faber's Road. We have confirmed that one persons was shot and another murdered.
That most recent shooting may be related to one that happened last night at 9:00 pm, one block away from this locus of criminal activity - at the end of Neal's Pen Road - one block away from Faber's Road.
That's when Edwin "Drive" Flowers was shot in the face as he stood on his verandah. A gunman was lurking in the bushes beside his home and released a spray of bullets at Flowers. He was shot to the forehead, but, remarkably, did not die, and is reported in a stable condition, though there are reports that his vision may be impaired.
Police are paying special attention to the shooting because Drive Flowers is considered a boss of the PIV gang. Today Precinct Two's second in command briefed the media on the event and its possible consequences:
ASP Calbert Flowers, Deputy O.C., Precinct 2, Belize City Police
"Investigation so far reveals that sometime around nine-ten p.m., Mister Flowers was at home along with two other persons when one person approached the area and started to fire shots in their direction causing the injuries to Mister Flowers. He was transported to the hospital where he currently remains in a stable condition. Our investigation into this latest shooting continues and we are approaching it from all different angles. We are yet to determine the exact motive of this shooting, however, we believe that it may be connected to the shootings within the past weeks that has been happening within the precinct area."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, we know that Edwin "Drive" Flowers is linked with a certain gang, PIV, and there are rumours that there will now be an escalating gang war because he's like a boss of that gang."
ASP Calbert Flowers
"We have been receiving all types of information and we have been acting on those information. Again we have stepped up our patrols since last week in the entire area, the south side of Belize City and in particular the Martin's Area. So yes, we believe that there may be some form of retaliation, however, we have launched our operation in preparation for this. We continue to receive information of threats, and we are putting things in place for these threats."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, looking at the two most recent murders Myron Smith in Lake Independence, and then, in that same Holy Emmanuel area, Leon Burgess, are those 2 specific shootings - perhaps - related to this one?"
ASP Calbert Flowers
"We are still investigating all these shooting, and we believe that they may be connected in some way. During the course of our investigations, it revealed that there are several different groups - two groups in particular who are fighting with each other. We are in the process of meeting with some known members of these groups, and trying to see how best we can deal with this matter before any other shooting incidents or any other life is lost."
And as we told you tonight, there has been a murder in that area. 7NEWS is on the scene, and we'll have details for you tomorrow.
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