colombianherald.com

The Cuarta Etapa shopping center, located in the Cabecera del Llano sector in Bucaramanga, experienced an afternoon of absolute chaos this Saturday after an attempted robbery at the Caracas jewelry store triggered a prolonged exchange of gunfire inside the establishment. What began as a theft ended up becoming a scene of terror that forced hundreds of visitors to evacuate.

According to the first information, a uniformed Metropolitan Police officer who was in civilian clothes inside the shopping center detected that several men were hurriedly leaving the jewelry store with a bag full of high-value pieces. When trying to confront them, a shootout broke out that went through several floors of the premises.

The shots were heard for several minutes, generating widespread panic. Many customers threw themselves on the floor to protect themselves, others ran to neighboring establishments seeking refuge, and several people remained hidden inside bathrooms and warehouses for more than half an hour, without knowing what was happening outside.

Videos recorded by those who were at the scene show the arrival of patrols and heavily armed uniformed officers, as well as two wounded men lying on the ground.

The authorities confirmed that the police officer who confronted the criminals was Mayor Fredy Leal, head of the organized crime group of the Bucaramanga Metropolitan Police. Although he was rushed to a health center and resuscitation maneuvers were performed for several minutes, he died due to the severity of his injuries.

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One of the alleged thieves also died in the confrontation and two more were injured. At least five members of the gang were captured inside and outside the shopping center, and three firearms that would have been used to commit the robbery were seized.

General William Quintero, commander of the Metropolitan Police, confirmed that the criminals would be from Barranquilla and that they had already been identified within a criminal structure dedicated to theft of jewelry stores. He also explained that the thieves were already leaving with a bag full of jewelry when they were surprised by Mayor Leal, who thwarted the theft at the cost of his life.

The mayor of Bucaramanga, Javier Sarmiento, announced a reward of 100 million pesos for those who provide information that allows the location of other possible members of the gang accused of the attack. “The death of this uniformed man hurts us deeply. We are going to reinforce the presence of public forces in shopping centers and critical points,” he assured.

Once the inspections in the shopping center have been completed, the case is now being analyzed for the delivery of the final report.

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