Two Sijín agents killed by shots from police officer in Medellín
An off-duty police officer shot and killed two colleagues in the Lorena neighbourhood after mistaking them for thieves. Three people were arrested.
Off-duty police officer kills two Sijín agents in Laureles
Yuli Milena Giraldo Morales, aged 38, and John Alexander Zapata Vásquez, aged 26, died on Friday night after being shot in the Lorena neighbourhood, located in comuna 11 Laureles-Estadio in Medellín. According to reports from elpais.com.co, both were members of the Metropolitan Police of the Aburrá Valley assigned to the Automotive group of the Sijín.
The two uniformed officers were verifying a van reported as stolen when, around 10:30 p.m., a third police officer belonging to the Personal Protection Group—who was off duty—apparently mistook his own colleagues for the alleged perpetrators of the vehicle theft. The confusion led to the use of a firearm against the two agents.
Giraldo Morales and Zapata Vásquez were transferred to a medical facility after being wounded, where they subsequently died from the severity of their injuries.
Arrests and seized material
Police and judicial units mobilised to the area to respond to the situation and begin initial investigative proceedings. As a result of the procedures carried out, the authorities reported the arrest of three people preliminarily linked to the investigation.
During the operation, three 9-millimetre calibre pistols and four mobile phones were also seized, items that were turned over to the competent authorities. For the moment, the authorities have not released details about the identities of those arrested or their individual responsibilities in the case.
The General Prosecutor's Office will continue with investigations to clarify the exact circumstances in which the events occurred and to determine the participation of each person involved.
Context: homicides in Medellín in 2026
With the deaths of the two uniformed officers, Medellín has accumulated 114 homicide cases so far in 2026. This figure remains below that recorded in the same period in 2025, when the city had registered 148 murders—34 more than at present.
However, the deaths of Giraldo Morales and Zapata Vásquez raised to four the number of public security personnel murdered in the capital of Antioquia during the present year.
Source: Google News CO — Crime