Students Shot Outside High School in Guatemala City
Category: Criminal Activity
Severity: 2 (Low)
Source: Drum Cussac
10/14/2017 (Guatemala) - Local media reports indicate that two teenage students were killed and another injured on Friday, 13 October, in a shooting outside a high school in Guatemala City. According to police, the unidentified attacker approached the group of students as they were leaving the school on Friday afternoon and opened fire at close range before fleeing the scene. The motive behind the shooting is currently unclear but at least one of the dead students appears to have been intentionally targeted by the gunman. Violent crime is endemic in Guatemala, with at least 2,236 homicides being reported so far in 2017, but the murder rate is particularly high in Guatemala City. Foreigners are not usually the targets of homicides but can become victims of indiscriminate violence or opportunistic crime. Crimes reported by foreign travellers include theft, assault, mugging and kidnapping. Carjackings and assaults on vehicles both public and private are also common, especially in the evening.
Due to the high risk from violent crime in Guatemala City, those in the capital are advised to exercise a heightened level of situational awareness and should ensure that security arrangements commensurate with the local threat environment are in place. Travellers should minimise time spent in areas known for elevated levels of criminal activity and avoid displays of relative wealth. Any suspicious activity should be immediately reported to police.
Copyright © 2024 Drum Cussac
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