Two Colombian police agents who were present at the Antioquia nightclub massacre which killed eight people were fired, and their presence at the disco will be investigated, Colonel Alejandro Bustamante told El Tiempo.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe questioned why the two policemen, who were clothed in civilian dress at the time of the massacre, were present at the night club.
Meanwhile, a man known as “El Gordo” claims he was the intended target of the shooting. He agreed to collaborate with the authorities because he believes his life to be in danger.
Reportedly El Gordo was not present when the shooting occurred because he was outside the disco buying something to eat.
Authorities believe the killing, which took place in the municipality of Envigado, in the Antioquia department, was the result of a turf war between local narco kingpins “Valenciano” and “Sebastian.”
Police said that some of the weapons used in the attack were the same make as arms popular with drug trafficking organizations in Mexico, indicating that the weapons may have been imported to Colombia.
Colombia’s Police chief Oscar Naranjo offered a reward of over $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the massacre.
The police chief also confirmed the arrival of 400 extra police officers and 200 members of the elite urban control force FUCUR to assist with the case.
None of the victims has a history of any gang involvement, according to Naranjo, but police are searching for a man who fled the scene and could have been the gunmen’s target.
The incident occurred when several hitmen reportedly entered the Envigado club and began to shoot indiscriminately. During the ensuing chaos they escaped on high-powered motorbikes, while survivors were attending to the injured, according to El Tiempo.
Seven people were killed in the shooting and one person later died in hospital from their injuries. Four of the remaining twelve victims are in a critical condition. One of the deceased victims has been identified as Jackson Gil, a dual U.S.-Colombian citizen, according to the preliminary police report.
