Man killed with 20 gunshots in San Matías; authorities search for perpetrators
A young man from San Matías was killed with 20 bullet impacts. The Public Ministry is investigating the crime and there are no arrests yet.
Murder with military-use weapons shocks San Matías, Santa Cruz
A man from San Matías, in the department of Santa Cruz, was shot and killed in an incident that the Public Ministry is investigating from its earliest stages. According to reduno.com.bo, the victim received 20 bullet impacts and had no criminal record.
"There were 20 bullet impacts that were fired against this young man from San Matías," declared prosecutor Rose María Barrientos in contact with the programme El Mañanero.
Police and military-use weapons
Barrientos specified that the crime involved large-calibre weapons, described as police and military-use armament. In response, ballistic testing procedures were ordered, whose results are still being processed and will form part of the key elements for advancing the investigation.
The prosecutor assigned to the case has already carried out various procedures, including processing the crime scene and the legal removal of the body.
No surveillance cameras at the location
One of the main obstacles to clarifying the murder is the absence of surveillance cameras in the vicinity where the incident occurred. Given this lack, the San Matías Police and the Public Ministry are working on collecting testimonies from people who were at the location or who can provide information about what happened.
The prosecutor explained that these testimonies are being processed and that, for the moment, further details will not be provided so as not to prejudice the investigations or cause greater concern among the population and the victim's family.
Investigation in preliminary stage
To date, the authorities have not confirmed the motives for the murder or the identity of the perpetrators. The investigation is in a preliminary stage. Among the next procedures are ballistic and biological testing, the taking of witness statements and the gathering of information from family members.
"We hope that in the coming hours the San Matías Police will find the perpetrators," said Barrientos when referring to expectations for progress in the investigation.
Concern over organised crime in the area
During the interview, Barrientos also expressed her concern about the presence of organised crime in San Matías and other areas of the Santa Cruz department. The Public Ministry, in coordination with the Bolivian Police, is seeking to clarify this case and other violent incidents recorded in the border locality.
Departmental prosecutor Fernando López also designated a new prosecutor in San Matías, with instructions to urgently advance investigative procedures related to this and other pending cases.
Source: Google News BO — La Paz