San Pedro Supermarket Shooting Leaves Two Dead, Two Injured

Less than seven months after surviving a brazen burglary and arson attack, Island Supermarket in the Tres Cocos area of San Pedro has once again become the scene of deadly violence. This time, however, the attack has claimed two lives and left two others injured.  The deadly assault unfolded shortly after nine o’clock last night when four-armed men stormed the supermarket and opened fire on those inside. Killed in the attack were security guard Daniel Jones and supermarket co-owner Yehya “David” Harmouch. Two of Harmouch’s brothers, Ayman and Ahmad Harmouch, also sustained gunshot injuries and remain under medical care.  Love News understands that one line of investigation is focusing on a reported financial dispute involving members of the Harmouch family. A second avenue is examining reports of tensions within San Pedro’s Lebanese business community, following claims that the Harmouch family opened the supermarket without receiving the blessing of influential community elders.  Speaking at today’s police press briefing, Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero said Police have not confirmed either motive and say both remain part of the ongoing investigation.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Officer Commanding Eastern Division: “On Sunday police responded to a shooting incident in San Pedro. They went to Island Supermarket where upon arrival they saw the motionless body of two male persons. They were identified as Daniel Jones and Yehya Harmouch. There after they went to the clinic where there’s two other persons with gunshot injuries. They were identified as Ayman Harmouch and Ahmad Harmouch and they had gunshot injuries. Information is that all four male persons were at Island Supermarket when four male persons arrived at the supermarket armed with firearms who fired several shots towards their direction causing the fatal injuries to the two and the injuries to the other two. Thereafter the male persons ran away across the street. Thereafter they boarded a vessel which then headed south of the island. We are currently conducting a thorough investigation. We have persons in custody and the investigation continues at this time. Investigators are currently on the ground trying to get surveillance footage at this time. Yeah, we can confirm that nothing was stolen from the supermarket. We are looking at several angles, so persons are being detained for interview.”

Crime scene technicians recovered several expended nine-millimeter shell casings, along with live rounds, as they processed the scene.  The killings come just months after Island Supermarket, which had been open for only three days, was burglarized and deliberately set on fire in December 2025. During that incident, two masked men reportedly forced their way into the business before igniting a blaze that caused extensive damage to the building and its inventory. Despite the seriousness of that attack, no one has ever been arrested. Last night’s shooting also continues a troubling pattern of high-profile multiple murders on Ambergris Caye. In 2019, renowned fly-fishing guide Mario Graniel and American cardiologist Dr. Paul Swank were ambushed and killed while fishing in the San Pedro lagoon. More recently, in October 2023, San Pedro was rocked by a triple murder in the San Pedrito area that left three people dead and heightened concerns over escalating gun violence on the island. There was a lull recently, however, an event that the Area Representative Andre Perez had attributed to an increase of cops on the island.

Police say they are reviewing surveillance footage, interviewing witnesses and following several investigative leads as they work to identify the gunmen responsible for what has become one of the most brazen attacks on the island in recent years.