By Belize Live News Staff: Just three days after being identified as a suspect in a retaliation shooting in Belmopan, 24-year-old Luis Marin was shot and killed in Belize City—a development police now fear may be linked to an escalating street war.
Marin had been wanted in connection with the April 5 shooting of Jamal Hyde, which took place in the parking lot of T&J Supermarket. In that incident, over 15 rounds were fired at a black Mazda Tribute carrying five people. Hyde was struck in the upper right leg and rushed to the Western Regional Hospital.
Surveillance footage captured the chaos as passengers fled while a gunman in a long-sleeve shirt exited a white Suburban SUV and fired at close range before fleeing the scene.
Then, on the night of April 8, police responded to a call on Pinks Alley in Belize City and found Marin dead, slumped in a sofa chair with multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators say a gunman entered the home while Marin was with a relative and opened fire before escaping.
Authorities have confirmed Marin was a person of interest in the Belmopan shooting, which itself may have been in retaliation for an earlier attack at the home of Ryan Hyde. Marin’s death is now believed to be part of a spiraling cycle of reprisals.
At the scene in Belize City, police recovered expended shells, slugs, and blood samples. Despite interviewing several individuals, no useful leads have emerged.
