A stray bullet fired during a gang fight in the western hills of Medellin killed a passenger riding on the Metrocable Wednesday night.
While traveling on Line J of the Metrocable between the San Javier and Juan XXIII stops, 49-year-old Alfonso Antonio Martinez Rodriguez was struck by a bullet on his right side which punctured a lung. The victim was rushed to a hospital by Metro police, but died shortly thereafter from his wound.
The shootout between rival gangs occurred in Comuna 13, considered the most violent neighborhood in Medellin.
The western Metrocable temporarily suspended operations, but resumed later in the night.
According to Caracol Radio, this is the second time in the last year that the western Metrocable has been hit by stray bullets from Comuna 13. The Metrocable suspended activity for two weeks in August 2010 to repair damages in three cabins.
A stray bullet also hit a woman in the leg while traveling on the northeast Metrocable in 2009 when residents reportedly fired bullets into the air during a party.