Nine Murders in Panama this Weekend

Panama experienced a weekend marked by violence, with a total of nine murders in different parts of the country, raising the number of homicides in August to 38.  Gun violence ranged from shootings in bars and clandestine cockfighting arenas to personal disputes that ended in tragedy. 

Saturday, August 17

Around 10:00 pm, the peaceful quiet of the Burunga district was interrupted by a shooting outside a barbershop in the 13 de Febrero sector.  A man, who had returned to live in the area a few weeks ago, was ambushed by a gunman while he was talking to other people.  The shots hit him squarely, leaving him seriously injured. 

Sunday, August 18

At 3:00 a.m., the community of Las Lajas de Tolé woke up to the news of the brutal murder of 75-year-old Eladio Cruz Bonilla.  The elderly man, who had attended a party, was intercepted on his way home and stabbed multiple times.  According to witnesses, the attack was motivated by jealousy, as the attacker suspected that Eladio had an affair with his wife. 

At 1:00 a.m., in the Altos de Las Praderas neighborhood in La Chorrera, Jean Carlo González, 17, was heading to a party with two friends when they were ambushed by armed men traveling in a white car.  The shots hit González in the head, killing him instantly.  His companions were injured and taken to the hospital. 

In the early morning, a 24-year-old man was walking along a sidewalk in the district of Amelia Denis de Icaza, in San Miguelito, when he was surprised by his attackers, who shot him dead.  

On Sunday night, the La Takilla bar, located in the Cativá district, in the province of Colón, became a battlefield.  Three armed men broke into the establishment and opened fire indiscriminately.  Carlos Alfredo Soto Goodsell, 33, died on the spot, while another man was wounded in the leg and was taken to the Don Laurencio Jaén Ocaña polyclinic in Sabanitas for medical attention. 

At approximately 9:00 p.m., a 28-year-old man was surprised by several individuals while walking along some sidewalks near the Torrijos Carter Basic General Education Center (CEBG).  The attackers shot him multiple times.  Seriously wounded, he was taken to the health center, where he died shortly after. 

Monday, August 19

Early Monday morning, Jean Carlos Castillo Cruz, 18, was beaten to death in Dubi Alley, in the Llano Apóstol sector, Río Grande, Penonomé, Coclé province.  According to authorities, two unidentified men attacked him along with his brother, who survived, but could not give a clear description of the attackers.  Hours before the attack, both had been involved in a fight at a local bar, which is believed to have motivated the brutal attack. 

At 1:30 a.m., Armando Arrocha, 26, was shot in block 13 of the Felipillo sector, 24 de Diciembre district.  Seriously wounded, he was taken to the Irma de Lourdes Tzanetatos Hospital, where doctors were unable to save him.  The attack shocked the community, which is still wondering about the reasons behind the crime.  

In the early hours of the morning, a 15-year-old boy died after being shot in the chest while he was in a clandestine cockfighting ring in the Eben-Ezer invasion, Las Garzas district.  According to unofficial reports, the minor was not the target of the attack, but an armed subject burst into the place and fired indiscriminately.  In the attack, four other people were injured and were taken to the Irma de Lourdes Tzanetatos Hospital for medical attention.