Shootout During School Outing in Casco Viejo

Primary school students were caught in a shootout while on fieldtrip to the historic Casco Viejo neighborhood on Thursday.

As shots were exchanged between gang members and police near the La Merced church, the school children dropped to the floor.  The gang members had just come from exchanging bullets with an enemy gang on 9th street, most likely the Ninth Street Gang.

Gang members Jose Perez, age 20, and Manuel Zuniga, age 30, both took nonfatal bullets and Samuel Palacios, age 18, and a 17-year-old minor were captured.

The Institutional Protection Service, the Tourism Police and the National Police all operate in the 12-block neighborhood,  one of the capital city’s largest tourism draws.

La Merced Church, Casco Antiguo / photo pmaville