One dead and police officer injured in shooting during vote count in Áncash
A 34-year-old man died from a gunshot wound to the head in Chavín de Huántar as rival groups clashed during the electoral count. A police officer was injured and no arrests were made.
Shooting in Chavín de Huántar leaves one civilian dead and one police officer injured
An electoral day ended in tragedy in Chavín de Huántar, Huari province, Áncash region. According to infobae.com, a shooting that occurred during the vote count for the 2026 Regional and Municipal Elections caused the death of John Montes Casiguamán, aged 34, and injured a member of Peru's National Police.
The incident was triggered after preliminary results showed a large lead for Julián Quevedo, Acción Popular's candidate for mayor. A group identified by witnesses as supporters of the incumbent mayor, Oswaldo Montes, apparently attempted to enter one of the voting venues to protest and request annulment of the results. Quevedo's followers tried to prevent entry, which led to a physical confrontation and subsequently to gunfire.
The National Police intervened to control the situation, but violence escalated. Joel Muñoz, a member of the Chavín de Huántar Defence Front, described what happened as a "tremendous brawl" outside a school and confirmed that one person died from bullet impacts. Over twenty cartridge cases were found in the area, according to residents cited by the media. Specialists from a unit based in Lima arrived in Chavín de Huántar to reinforce security following the confrontation.
The victim was in a park with friends
Montes Casiguamán was not an active participant in the confrontation. His wife, Daniela Trevejo, recounted that he was in a nearby park with friends when he was struck by a projectile to the head.
"He was in the park with his friends. Since the political party factions have clashed, he spotted them and that's when the gunshot hit him," Trevejo stated. According to her testimony, death was immediate.
The widow called for justice for her two children, one six years old and the other four months old. She also questioned the authorities' actions and noted that municipal security cameras could have recorded the events. Trevejo indicated that, based on what she was able to observe, the gunshot appeared to have come from the direction where the group she associates with the mayor's circle retreated. This account will need to be corroborated by the authorities in charge of the investigation.
At the time the report was published, no arrests had been reported in connection with the shooting.
Prior tension over allegations of "floating voters"
The violence occurred in a context already marked by complaints about alleged "floating voters" in the area. Joel Muñoz stated that in the days prior to the election there had been warnings about possible voters arriving from other jurisdictions.
"We were already anticipating this situation. We had made calls to all the relevant authorities to implement stronger measures throughout the entire Conchucos area," Muñoz said. The community leader explained that they even organised a demonstration in the Cahuish tunnel to prevent the entry of people they considered to be foreign voters, and that warnings had been communicated to the Public Prosecutor's Office.
During the day, incidents were also reported in the localities of Cajay, Musga, Rahuapampa and Huachis, where residents questioned the presence of people who, according to them, would not reside in those jurisdictions.
Muñoz further questioned why no one had been arrested following the shooting and demanded that appropriate proceedings be carried out to identify those responsible.
The JNE condemns violence and demands police reinforcement
The National Electoral Jury (JNE) condemned the acts of violence recorded during the electoral day in Áncash. The body called upon the Executive and the National Police to strengthen security measures to protect the population and ensure the continuation of the electoral process.
Source: Google News PE — Crime