SAA event in Stann Creek, Independence area, Belize on Wed 31st December 2025

On 31 December 2025, in Independence, Stann Creek, a gunman on a motorcycle drove up to a restaurant and opened fire on a man, before fleeing the scene (drive-by). The targeted man was shot but ran inside the restaurant and escaped through the back door. The gunman continued firing shots as his target fled, shooting and injuring six other people in the crowd. One of the men who was shot died in hospital the following day. Police confirmed that the deceased victim was not the intended target. A source claimed that the attack was related to another attack that took place six days earlier in Bella Vista, that was confirmed to be drug-related (coded separately). 1 fatality, 7 injured.