A Danish citizen became the third foreigner to be shot dead in Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city, in the past two weeks.
According to local newspaper El Colombiano, the victim was killed at less than a block from Parque Lleras, the city’s primary hangout for foreign tourists.
The victim, the 41-year-old Tomas Willemoes, was seemingly waiting for someone when a man approached him, talked to the victim and opened fire only minutes after his initial approach.
The Dane was shot in the head and died instantly. The killer fled.
The police gave no indication of the possible motive of the killing.
The three murders of foreigners come at a time that homicides in Medellin are spiking. June has so far seen a 27% increase in homicides. This was as much as 80% in May.
Homicides in Medellin up 80% as turf wars threaten fragile peace
Part of the violence is due to apparent tensions between factions of local crime syndicate La Oficina de Envigado, which has controlled the city’s underworld since the 1980’s when it was founded by late drug lord Pablo Escobar.