AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Shooting last night

From a friend....

Shooting last night in the airstrip area, across from my little hotel, Two lots South of Stones across from Backatown Bistro.. One dead they call Cobra, two hospitalized. No shooter apprehended so far. Likely drug related. No other info. Don't have any other details at the moment.

time to move in and clean out the druggies once and for all.
there is no upside to this trade

Police report....

On Thursday, April 11, 2013, at about 8:10 p.m., acting on information received San Pedro Police visited Glitter Street in west side of the island near the Airstrip Area, San Pedro Town where they saw the lifeless body of a male. The male person with dreadlocks was lying on the ground bleeding from the stomach area from what appeared to be a gunshot wound.

Initial investigation revealed that Eugene Anthony Lockwood Also known as "Ras Cobra", 39 year-old, Belizean Woodcarver of San Pedrito Area was socializing at the corner of Glitter and Swan Street with three other male persons when a single gunman unknown to them came and fired about 5- 10 gunshots which hit Eugene Lockwood on his left lower abdomen. A second person known as Derrick Samuels was also hit on his left lower back. The gunman then fled the area. Police investigation continues.

I also believe there was a fatal stabbing around 3am on Middle St. just south of Caramba...

I was at the SP police station this morning and asked if they had caught the shooter. The officer I spoke to said that they were out arresting him at that time.

Shooting In San Pedro Leaves One Dead and Another Injured

A man was shot and killed last night in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Reporter Marion Ali is in San Pedro and filed this report.

MARION ALI

"The stained sand on an open lot on Glitter Street in San Pedro shows where two men were shot - one fatally and another less seriously. The incident happened shortly after eight while children were still playing in the yard. At the end of the onslaught, 39 year old Eugene Lockwood, a wood carver also known as Ras Cobra, was fatally struck in his stomach and Derrick Samuels was hit to his lower left back. Jonathan Mullen who lives across from where the incident occurred, told us that he was initially peeved by children igniting fire crackers in the area, and that when he heard the last three blasts, he thought that was the end of their amusement. Unfortunately, however, it was the start of what would be a murder investigation.

Jonathan Mullen

"Every once in a while the kids get a bunch of fireworks you know the night I was sitting in my room, I kept thinking should I call the police; I know you are supposed to have a permit. Why are kids unsupervised with fireworks you know and now I wish I had called because maybe if they came to check on that it would avoid this. I heard 3 loud ones at the end and I thought ok that was the finale with those cherry booms but it was 3 gun shots."

What sounded like cherry bombs were actually the gunshots and just around then, Mullen said there was what could have been the gunman's voice as Lockwood, who was struck in his stomach, drew his last breaths.

San Pedro Police was combing the area when we arrived and were taking notes of bullet markings that ricocheted off the side of a home in the area. They have also retrieved four nine mm shells and were following one possible lead. Their investigations have determined so far that Lockwood, or Ras Cobra, was socializing at the corner of the lane with three other men when the gunman approached and unleashed a hail of bullets into the crowd, before fleeing. Derrick Samuels, who was the other casualty, was hit to his left lower back and continues to receive medical treatment. While the killing has brought about a level of disquiet in the modest neighborhood, Jonathan Mullen is perturbed that someone had the nerve to wantonly open fire while children innocuously played.

LOVEFM

City-Style Island Killing

Last night there was a murder in San Pedro town. A 39 year old Woodcarver was fatally injured when a gunman opened fire on a group of men. Eugene Lockwood was the only one caught and he died on the spot. It's an unusual and disturbing crime for the island town - and today 7news went to San Pedro looking for answers.

Daniel Ortiz reporting
39 year-old Eugene "Ras Cobra" Lockwood, a well-known artisan residing on San Pedro, was gunned down last night.

Sometime before 8, he was socializing with 3 other men in the San Pedrito Area at the corner of Glitter and Swan Streets, when a lone gunman ambushed them and fired a barrage of gunshots at the group and ran off. Lockwood was fatally injured in the lower abdomen area, and died on the spot, while his associate, Derrick Samuels, was injured in the lower back area.

At this moment, no one understands what led to the assailant to execute Lockwood in such a cold and calculated manner; and no one is more confused than his friends who were with him earlier.

Marlon Usher - Friend of Deceased

"We saw him around, up to about an hour before he lost his life. I was surprised, I couldn't believe it - how a man can be right here and within the next minute he's just gone. It's just surprising to me. I mean he was a healthy man, hardworking brother. What touched me was the way he just laid there for all those hours. How comes the police couldn't just get there and deal with that they had to deal with and take him to the hospital or try and get him to Belize City."

Mildred Lockwood - Sister of Deceased


"My brother, he goes out in San Pedro and does his hustling. We are not problematic people, we are humble people. So, I don't know why they took his life."

Bernadine Westby - Sister of Deceased

"This happened so sudden. I didn't believe something like this would have happened to my brother. I just have to wait and find out more from the police."

There are still many unexplained aspects to this incident, but Lockwood's friend and family made it clear that he was not involved in anything illegal. According to them, he was a very positive influence on those around him.

Mildred Lockwood
"He did his carving and he took things for sale, like 'Stew Soopa' - anything Stew that he can make he took out there, but his main thing was doing carving."

Marlon Usher
"Cobra was just a breddren, just a happy spirit, a brother. You know I don't know what could have happened, what could have caused his death. He was a breddren, hard working brother."

Reporter
"Did you know him to have any enemies?"

Marlon Usher
"No, I know him as an Irie brother, a brother with good vibe. I don't know him as any breddren that have enemies around."

Ras Tabu - Friend of Deceased

"He wasn't a man that police was always looking for to arrest him. He always looked for guidance. He's known by the entire island of San Pedro so no one can say they don't know Cobra, because he was well known. That's a good guy that San Pedro has lost."

Daniel Ortiz
With that in mind, the island's Mayor is calling on eyewitnesses to cooperate with police in the resolution of this crime.

Daniel Guerrero - Mayor, San Pedro Town

"I know that last night's incident - the neighbor's were there, they saw what happened and the guy who did it. I'm asking them to please cooperate with the police and so the case can be properly investigated." One person has been detained for the crime. Lockwood was the father of two children.

Channel 7

Ras Cobra shot dead, shooter escapes in boat

There has not been a murder since April third when police constable Bertchel Ramirez was executed in Roaring Creek…but it got deadly in San Pedro on Thursday night.  The community today is reeling from the murder of Rastafarian woodcarver, Eugene Lockwood also known as Ras Cobra, who was shot to death by masked men who fled in a getaway boat.  It is believed the murder was motivated by drugs, but that the victim was not the wanted man. News Five's Isani Cayetano spoke today to an eye witness.

Marlon Usher, Friend of Deceased

"I was surprised mein.  I couldn't believe it, you know.  A man could just be right here and next minute he's just gone.  It's just surprising to me."

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

The heartless murder of Ras Cobra, in San Pedro Town on Thursday night, has left the Rastafarian community on the island in an utter state of disbelief.  Eugene Lockwood, as he is formally known, was standing at the corners of Glitter and Swan streets in the company of Derrick Samuels when they were blindsided by their assailants.  An eyewitness saw the entire ordeal unfold from a nearby residence.

Voice of: Eyewitness

"I was in my room minding my own business when something told me to go outside and look.  I saw a boat coming [with] four men, three of them were kind of dark complexioned, not too dark, another one was like clear skinned, Spanish you'd say.  So I saw the Spanish one and another dread one walked up the boat and the other two stayed there.  Shortly after that I saw the dread and the Spanish man walking underneath where I stay and then I saw the dread talking to the Spanish man but they were disguised so I already knew something was going to happen because the other one had a mask and a fitted cap on."

Shortly thereafter, the successive report of what has been described as a nine millimeter handgun registered as many as four shots.

Voice of: Eyewitness

"After that I saw the dread ran left the Spanish one and the Spanish one came from behind but the dread got in the boat and the boat took off and when the Spanish one reached the boat was already taking off so he just jumped in the lagoon and started swimming.  That's when the other neighbors and thing started to come out."

While the shooter swam towards the waiting vessel, onlookers poured into the street where the body of the thirty-nine year old woodcarver lay motionless in a vacant lot.  Lockwood had been hit in the lower left abdomen.  In trying to flee his attackers he ran but did not make it very far before collapsing.

Voice of: Eyewitness

"What touched me is the way, you know, he just lies there for all those hours.  How comes the police couldn't just get there and deal with weh dehn haffi deal with and take the guy to the hospital and try get him to Belize City, you know."

The shooting, according to the eyewitness, may have been over the sale of drugs; however, he believes that Ras Cobra was not the person they wanted.

Marlon Usher

"Ras Cobra wasn't the intended target.  He was just like other customers because they sell weed on that block so a lot of people go and buy their little weed, you know and the shop sells fonto.  They go and buy dehn lee fonto then they go.  But he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time honestly, you know.  He da noh wah trouble person, everybody knows that he live on the island di sell carvings, you know, do ih lee hustling but he da noh wah street person then, you know, into violence and like that."

The spike in violent crimes on the island, says Mayor Daniel Guerrero, has prompted the San Pedro Town Council to look at more stringent solutions, including random hotel room checks, as well as visitor profiling.

Daniel Guerrero,San Pedro Town Mayor

"It's hard for me to tell if they are from the island.  I know that they are probably living here but they might not be the real islanders but it's drug-related, you know, people from [the island who sell] drugs they really move around and that's what's happening and it's happening countrywide.  Unfortunately, it happened here but I'm really serious about it and I will tackle it very hard and it might not be a popular decision to do maybe but I will expose myself to it and I just hope that I get the backup of the community.  We really need to fight this crime."

Derrick Samuels was fortunate to have survived the violent attack.  He has been admitted to ward with a gunshot wound to his left lower back. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

Channel 5

Its a lot sadder for the Belizeans, really doesnt impact a lot on the expat community, but its still vert sad for it to be happening at all Out of interest 3300 American have died from gunshots since the Newtown massacre thats even sadder