Shootout between criminal groups leaves 2 dead and 13 injured

SAN JUAN (AP) — Gunmen who killed two people and wounded 13 when they opened fire indiscriminately outside a Puerto Rico bar during a birthday party were after only one man in a drug-trafficking dispute, he said. the police on Monday.

So far no arrests have been made in connection with the weekend shooting.

Police believe the target was a man who was killed outside San Juan’s Piel Kanela bar when gunmen began shooting from vehicles early Sunday, Col. Roberto Rivera told The Associated Press.

The man, Luis E. Guzmán González, 28, had evaded other assassination attempts in attacks related to drug trafficking.

The other victims were innocent bystanders at the scene, Rivera said.

Luis Hernández Martínez, 72, also died at the scene. Eight people received medical attention in hospitals due to the injuries they suffered during the attack, of which five have already been discharged.

Investigators who reviewed security camera footage believe a vehicle drove in front of the bar and identified the target. Then the occupants of two other cars opened fire.

The incident brought to 11 the number of people who died on the island in acts of violence over the long weekend of Memorial Day.

Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said Sunday’s attack was harsh but expressed confidence that investigators would solve the case. He also praised the work of the police forces during his administration, noting that there have been 57 fewer murders so far this year, compared to the same period in 2022.

So far in 2023 there have been 204 murders, compared to 261 last year.

Rivera, an assistant investigative commander with 38 years of experience in the Puerto Rico police, pointed out that criminals have set aside the unwritten rule of not attacking targets when they meet their relatives, although he did not clarify whether among the victims on Sunday there were relatives of Guzmán González.

Hitmen are also getting younger, he added.