One detained, licensed .223 rifle seized after Alfred Mahler shot in Maya Ranch area

By Breaking Belize News Staff: Police have detained one person and seized a licensed semi-automatic rifle as they investigate a shooting in the Maya Ranch area of western Belize on Wednesday afternoon.

According to preliminary information, sometime between 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. on September 23, 2026, Alfred Mahler and another man were inspecting land in the Maya Ranch area when they were approached by persons in a grey pickup truck.

Police say the two men were subsequently followed along Pine Ridge Road by a red pickup truck, from which shots were reportedly fired. Mahler was struck by gunfire, while the red pickup fled the scene.

Investigators have since detained one person in connection with the incident and seized his licensed .223 semi-automatic rifle. Mahler is receiving medical treatment. Police have not yet disclosed the extent of his injuries or identified the detained individual.

The shooting comes against the backdrop of a contentious land dispute at Maya Ranch involving local farmers and Maya Ranch Limited. Farmers have gone to court claiming rights to portions of the property through years of occupation and cultivation, while records previously reported by Channel 7 show the property is titled to Maya Ranch Limited.

Tensions in the area have previously turned violent. In March, Police Sergeant Dalon Kelly was shot while responding to a disturbance at Maya Ranch, and farmer Dan Lopez was subsequently charged with attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm and grievous harm. More recently, on September 4, farmers were involved in a heated confrontation with developer Nigel Petillo, who said he had been hired to work on behalf of the property’s owner.

Police have not indicated whether Wednesday’s shooting is connected to the ongoing land dispute, and say no further information is available at this time.

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