Double homicide of two women in Arborizadora Baja, Ciudad Bolívar
Two women were found shot dead on a public road in the Arborizadora Baja neighbourhood, south Bogotá, in the early hours of Wednesday 23 September.
Two women shot dead in Ciudad Bolívar during early morning hours
Two women were found without vital signs on the pavement of a street in the Arborizadora Baja neighbourhood, in the Ciudad Bolívar locality, south of Bogotá, following a series of gunshots recorded near midnight on Wednesday 23 September, according to focusnoticias.com.
Residents of the sector alerted the authorities after hearing multiple gunfire detonations. Upon leaving their homes to verify what had happened, they found the bodies of the two victims lying in the middle of the public road, one of them next to a pavement in the sector.
Police cordon off the scene and begin evidence collection
Units from the Metropolitan Police of Bogotá cordoned off the area immediately, whilst forensic agents carried out a technical inspection of the bodies and gathered evidence to identify those responsible.
Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Chávez, garrison officer of the Bogotá Police, confirmed that patrols attended the scene after receiving multiple calls from the community alerting them to gunfire.
"There is an incident where unfortunately two people lose their lives. There is a report to our attention area where initially it is stated that some gunshots are heard. Upon arriving at the scene, unfortunately two bodies of two females are found," the officer stated.
Chávez added that the authorities immediately activated a search operation to locate those responsible and verify possible escape routes: "We are conducting traceability with our judicial police to see if these people were perhaps residents of the sector and we are conducting all pertinent inquiries."
Victims believed to be between 30 and 45 years old; one could be a nurse
According to initial inquiries, the two women would be between 30 and 45 years of age. The authorities are working on their full identification and reconstructing their movements during the hours prior to the crime.
The first versions gathered by investigators point to one of the victims being a nurse resident in the sector, although this information is pending verification by the Judicial Police.
One of the main lines of investigation seeks to determine whether both women lived in Arborizadora Baja or whether they arrived at the scene to meet with third parties shortly before the attack.
Lock-down plan and security camera review
Following the double homicide, the Police implemented a lock-down plan in nearby sectors of Ciudad Bolívar. Investigators are gathering recordings from public and private surveillance cameras installed in homes and commercial establishments in the area.
Judicial Police teams are also conducting interviews with residents of the sector to establish how many people participated in the attack, how they arrived at the scene and in which direction they fled. The authorities have not reported whether those responsible were travelling by motorcycle, vehicle or on foot, nor whether the victims had received prior threats.
Investigators are analysing the personal and professional relationships of the victims, possible previous conflicts and the exact circumstances that led them to the crime scene. Police sources indicated that no investigative line has been ruled out and that the results of the interviews and video surveillance records will be determining factors in establishing the motive.
New episode of violence in the capital
The case adds to other recent violent incidents in Bogotá. On 14 September, in the Usme locality, a man was shot dead while walking through the Brasilia neighbourhood; according to the official report, he was approached from behind by an armed attacker who subsequently fled with another subject on a motorcycle.
The authorities continue searching for information to identify the authors of the double homicide in Arborizadora Baja and to clarify why the two women were attacked in the middle of a public road.
Source: Google News CO — Bogotá