Is Tension Still Brewing in River Valley?

This weekend, two men were hospitalized after being shot in Lord’s Bank Village. The victims, Jaden Young of Bermudian Landing and Cyril Banner, a Coast Guard member from Lemonal Village, were found injured in a vehicle near the Belize Water Service compound. According to reports, around ten-thirty p.m. on Saturday, an assailant in an SUV pulled up beside their vehicle and opened fire. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams was asked if this incident reflects rising tensions among groups in Lemonal, Bermudian Landing, and Double Head Cabbage. Here’s his answer.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“From what seeing is that this is the result of the ongoing feud between the two rivaling groups in the River Valley area. We know that earlier in the year we saw an increase in shootings in the Belize River Valley area. And then we recently saw that Miss Flowers was also shot on Starstoon Street here in Belize City. And we also believe that her shooting was also a result of those feuds in that area.  I have since instructed the operations team under the command of ACP Greenwich to make sure that we go after all those persons concerned. We have done a lot in terms of mediation, meetings, even with the various village councils trying to find a lasting resolution to the issue. But somehow it seems like those young men who are a part of this beef do not want to give up. And there seems determined to go at each other. And so we will intensify our operational efforts at them. And believe you me, they will come to you all the media and they are going to complain.  I trust and hope that when the complaints come to you, that you do not entertain them. Because there comes a time when we have to stop talk and people have to begin to feel. Talking don’t seem to be working. We are also seeing that for the most part. The, some of the women in the area have been busy on social media posting things and those things that they post could also lead to the escalation of the problems in the area. I intend to meet with the villagers of all sometime this week I’m waiting for them to give me a date and time as to when the meeting can be had, and myself and my team will go in and listen to what their concerns are. But in the time being, we’ll spend time in there going after those people and yesterday we started .”