On Tuesday October 19, two men entered Picame Bar located on Mosul Street with the intention to rob the establishment, but the perpetrators got more than they bargained for. At the time the bar owner, Jose Santos, along with a police corporal who was inside the establishment, opened fire on the assailants injuring one of them. Santos and a waitress at the bar were injured. He received a gunshot to the left arm and a bullet graze to the left side of the abdomen. The waitress, identified as Xiomara Lopez, was shot to the shoulder.
Seven days after the incident, on Tuesday October 26, police escorted 23-year-old Shawn Edwards, a laborer and resident of #6488 Jasmine Street located in the St. Martin’s area of Belize City, to court. Edwards was recently released from the KHMH after suffering injuries during the robbery. He was handed over to police after being shot in the testicles, navel, upper back and left shoulder. When he exited the police vehicle which took him to court, Edwards could not hold up his head or stand straight and he showed obvious signs of pain. He then limped and had to be assisted.
In court, Edwards was taken before Chief Magistrate, Margaret Gabb-McKenzie and in the presence of his attorney, Arthur Saldivar he was charged with seven counts – one count of attempted murder upon Xiomara Lopez, a waitress at Picama bar who was shot to the left shoulder; one count of attempted murder upon Joe Santos, the bar proprietor who was also shot to the left arm and grazed to the left side of the abdomen; he was additional charged with two counts of use of deadly means of harm upon Lopez and Santos; and two counts of wounding upon Lopez and Santos along with one count of attempted robbery upon Santos. No plea was taken and Edwards was informed that the matters are being dealt with on indictment. He was remanded to the Belize Central Prison in Hattieville until November 25.
On Tuesday October 19, at about 9:45 p.m., two men stormed into Picame Bar located on Mosul Street. One of them was armed with a handgun. While inside, five minutes after the men entered the bar, shots rang out and three persons were shot in the end. According to the proprietor, Jose Santos, he was standing behind the bar when two persons entered wearing caps. One of the men jumped over the counter and attacked him, Santos then pulled out his licensed .38 revolver. On the other side of the counter, the gunman opened fired but a police officer, Corporal Carmelito Cawich who was inside the bar pulled out his licensed firearm and shot the second gunman who was struggling with Santos. As a result of the shooting, Lopez, the waitress, was shot as well as Santos and so was the man identified as Edwards who was behind the bar.
