Former Petawawa soldier charged with murder after Belize shooting

Belize shooting kills two, including police, eight injured Later, an officer in Petawawa's ex-soldier was charged with murder.

After a July 31 shooting at a nightclub in his Village of Hopkins, a coastal community in southern Belize, retired Colonel John Roy Smith ( 43 years old) was arrested. He was initially charged by the police with two counts of his aiding in committing the murders, but on the advice of the Belizean Attorney General these charges were changed to murder.

Three of his other men from Belize were also charged with murder.

Police allege Smith drove the getaway car for the perpetrators. The shooting claimed the lives of two of his men, one from Belize and one from Honduras. Eight people were wounded, including three police officers who were in a nightclub on a routine patrol.

Smith Garrison He was the 1st Royal Canadian Regiment based at Petawawa ^{Former member of the} Battalion. He served from September 2001 to September 2011, but was medically released from the Canadian military after suffering injuries in Afghanistan. 12 Canadian soldiers died during Operation Medusa, an offensive against the Taliban.

He then ran a furniture manufacturing business in Barry, Ontario, but recently moved to Belize.

Smith and the other men are now in Belize Central Prison. The allegations against them have not been proven in court.

The shootings rocked the Caribbean nation. Belize's prime minister, John Briceno, said at a news conference on Saturday that such incidents were rare in his country. I think I really couldn't find the right words for it," he said. "It's just unbelievable. In my opinion, it doesn't happen here." It was a bar in Belize when a man was shot.

The Belizean press last week reported that four of his suspects, handcuffed and guarded by heavily armed police, were brought to court for their first appearance. It aired a video showing the demolition. Smith appeared black-eyed, and their next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 9.

Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams told journalists that the incident appeared to have started after three of his men approached the girlfriend of one of his victims, 23. He said. Noah Moro. An altercation ensued and the three men left the nightclub but returned shortly after armed with handguns.The men fired indiscriminately into the crowd after Moro was killed, police said. did.

Emilio Garcia, a 56-year-old Honduran national who reportedly tried to close the door of the club to prevent a shooting, was also shot dead, Belizean newspaper Amandala reported.

The three suspects then drove into two separate vehicles, including one belonging to Smith, according to Belizean police.

Williams said police in Belize knew about Smith, but the ex-soldier was largely under the radar. Williams told reporters.[67][68] Smith is believed to have moved to Belize about six months ago, but police have suggested he was in Belize much longer.

"When he goes to the media, he finds pictures of him and other defendants playing together and some of these types of pictures," Williams said. "That shows they are very close."

Smith's Facebook page includes a photo of him with the three defendants.

After leaving the Canadian Army, Smith ran a company called Frontline Cabinets and Furniture. The Barrie area company made custom furniture, kitchens and bars. “My vision is to make my company a household name,” he said on his LinkedIn account.

However, Smith closed the business, citing pandemic-related restrictions. In his online video, he criticized the Canadian government for choosing "large companies over small businesses." That's because large stores were allowed to stay open during the pandemic, but small businesses had to close. Smith also complained about the federal government's treatment of him, adding that Belize "I'm nothing and I'm not Sunada."

The footage was removed from the internet shortly after the Belizean news outlet posted a link to it.