Mark Usher Ambushed, Murdered upon Arrival at Home

We start tonight’s newscast with the disheartening news of a violent weekend in Belize City – one of the deadliest in recent memory. Three murders in the Old Capital have brought grief to three more families and tested the police’s capabilities. First, we have the details of the Saturday night murder of Mark Usher Junior, a resident of Faber’s Road Extension. This was followed by another murder on Sunday, which police believe is connected. Here’s the full report from News Five’s Marion Ali.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

Thirty-three-year-old Mark Usher had just returned home after going out to buy food on Saturday night when he was tragically murdered. It seems his killer was waiting for him on a bicycle and ambushed him as he got out of his vehicle. Usher was shot on Jabiru Street, near the junction with Faber’s Road Extension. Police Commissioner Chester Williams shared the latest findings from the investigation.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“On Saturday night, police received information of shots fired in the Faber’s Road Extension area. Upon responding, they discovered one Mark Usher suffering from gunshot injuries. He was taken to the K.H.M.H., where he was admitted in a critical condition and a few hours later, he succumbed to his injuries. Police investigations so far have led to the arrest of an individual who has since been charged for the crime of murder in respect to the shooting death of Mark Usher.”

 

Twenty-six-year-old Andre Arthurs, a construction worker from Burrell Boom Village, has been charged with Usher’s murder. He was arraigned today and sent to Belize Central Prison. Arthurs appeared in court without a lawyer and is scheduled to return on May thirteenth. Usher’s murder is believed to be part of a long-standing feud between local street figures. However, Police Commissioner Chester Williams mentioned that they had no prior information indicating Usher’s life was in danger.

 

Chester Williams

“I personally know of no information where Mark Usher was under any threat. I did hear, though, that there was some issue reported to the police in respect to the tensions in the Faber’s Road Extension area and, L.I.U. was notified of that issue. I know for a fact that the police were trying to find the different players, whose names were called in the issue in that Faber’s Road area, but the players, upon having knowledge of the police seeking them, they seem to have gone into hiding and so the police could not have located them.”

 

Williams mentioned that if the police had found the feuding parties, they would have tried to calm things down through intervention. They believe Usher’s murder stemmed from this ongoing dispute.

 

Chester Williams  

“That area has been an issue for some time now with tensions between the two groups that operate in that area and it is believed that his death is as a result of that issue between the two groups.”

 

No one we spoke to wanted to discuss Usher’s murder. He had been targeted the night before when a woman’s house in the area was shot up. A.C.P. Hilberto Romero addressed that incident today.

 

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Sunday, the ninth of March, police responded to a report of a shooting incident at Rio Bravo Crescent in Belize City. On the arrival, they found a woman, Yvonne Ellis, who reported that she was in front of her house when she saw a white van slow down in the area. Thereafter she saw a male person pull out a firearm and fired several shots towards her direction.  She immediately took cover and called for police.”

 

Romero stated that Yvonne Ellis was unharmed in the incident. The police are searching for the vehicle involved but are unsure who the intended target was. Marion Ali for News Five.