By Belize Live News Staff: Punta Gorda Town was rocked by violence Saturday night after two men were fatally shot at a residence on Queen Street.
Police say that around 8:05 p.m. on Saturday, February 7th, 2026, reports of gunshots were received. Officers responded to the area and discovered 24-year-old Luis Barillas lying face down in a yard in a pool of blood. He was rushed to the Punta Gorda Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
At the hospital, police encountered a second victim who was being treated by medical staff. The man, later identified as Derick Arnold, was pronounced dead upon police arrival. Arnold had sustained gunshot wounds to the left upper chest, left thigh, and right upper back.
Barillas was found to have suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head, including two to the left cheek and one to the left side of the temple. Both bodies were placed in the hospital morgue pending post-mortem examinations.
