Belize man charged with murder in East Collet Canal shooting

Belize: A man from Lords Bank Village has been arrested and sent to prison after being charged in connection to a fatal shooting that took place on March 12, 2026, on East Collet Canal. The accused has been identified as 21-year old Luewin Link, a labourer from Lords Bank Village.

Link appeared before Senior Magistrate Mannon Dennison in court on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. He was charged with the murder of 29-year old Clinton Pou. He was also charged for harming Pou’s sister, 27-year old Kiandra Pou. These charges include attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, and dangerous harm.

Due to the severity of the charges, the court did not accept his plea and also denied his bail. Link has been sent to the Belize Central Prison. He is expected to return to appear in court on June 9, 2026.

The incident took place a little after 11:00 am on March 12. Two masked men arrived on a motorbike at a food stall run by the Pou siblings at East Collet Canal. One of the men left the bike and started shooting at them. Both the siblings were severely injured during the attack, as they were rushed to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

Kiandra was taken for treatment and is now in stable condition. Clintion died of his injuries in the hospital at 11:47 am despite great efforts of medical professionals to save him.

Officers from the Special Patrol Unit (SPU) responded right away to reports of gun fire. They chased the suspects to the Conch Shell Bay area. One suspect, 40-year old Ryan Barnett, was shot by police. He died in the hospital. The second suspect jumped into Haulover Creek to run away.

Police soon found and located Link in Puma Energy Belize compound, wearing wet clothes. He matched the description of the fugitive and was found with injuries.

Police gathered many items at the scene, including many spent shells, a motorbike, helmets, and masks. They also recovered a 9mm pistol and an AR-15 rifle. The weapons are still being tested.

At present, Link has not been charged with any firearm related crimes. The police said that the investigation is still active as they continue to look for more evidence.