It has been over a month since the murders of Lebanese island resident Yahya Muhammad Harmoush, locally known as David Harmouch, and security guard Daniel Jones, and police have yet to make an arrest in the case. Both Harmouch and Jones were gunned down on June 28th at their workplace, Island Supermarket, north of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. Police indicated that the investigation is ongoing as they continue to follow leads in an effort to apprehend those responsible for the crime that shocked the island community.
Following the murders, police said they detained several persons of interest. However, no one was charged in connection with the deadly shooting. Authorities said they continue to pursue several leads, including the alleged escape route used by the gunmen. According to limited information, the assailants reportedly fled by boat, heading south. The San Pedro Sun reached out to the island police formation for an update, but no new information was made available.
According to the police report, four armed men stormed Island Supermarket and opened fire on Harmouch, Iman Harmouch, Ahmad Harmouch, and security guard Jones.
David Harmouch and Jones were fatally shot, while Iman and Ahmad Harmouch sustained gunshot injuries. Police believe the incident was a targeted attack, as nothing was stolen from the supermarket.
A few days after the double murder, members of the Lebanese community in San Pedro and Jones’ family staged a protest outside the San Pedro Police Station, demanding justice. Area Representative Honorable Andre Perez and Mayor Gualberto ‘Wally’ Nuñez addressed the concerned and upset islanders gathered outside the station. The crowd was assured that the police would conduct a thorough investigation and make every effort to identify and apprehend those responsible for the murders.
A week later, on July 5th, another peaceful protest was held through the main streets of downtown San Pedro, once again calling on authorities to bring those responsible to justice. The demonstration concluded at Central Park with a unified appeal to the Government of Belize and law enforcement authorities to do more to solve the murders of David Harmouch and Daniel Jones. One member of the Lebanese community said they continue to wait for justice and hope police will soon deliver on their promise to find those responsible.
David Harmouch’s body was repatriated to Lebanon, where family and friends received him in the town of Safira in the northern part of the country. He was reportedly laid to rest on July 17th and is survived by his wife and six children in Belize. Jones’ body was transported to northern Belize, where he was originally from.
This was not the first time Island Supermarket had been targeted. The business was burglarized and set on fire shortly after it first opened in December 2025. Police said their investigation into that incident did not identify any suspects, and no one was held accountable for the burglary and arson. Six months later, after the supermarket reopened in June, it was once again targeted in a shooting that claimed two lives and left two others injured.