PANAMA CITY, Panama – A tragic incident unfolded at the University of Panama’s rural campus, where an unidentified gunman opened fire on a group of students, resulting in one student dead and another wounded. University Rector Eduardo Flores C. disclosed that the students were conducting field work at the university’s agricultural sciences regional center in Veraguas, approximately 155 miles southwest of the capital city when the shooting occurred.
Pedro Samaniego, the director of the regional campus where the shooting took place, recounted the harrowing event. According to Samaniego, the gunman approached a group of six first-year students around 11 a.m. and indiscriminately opened fire without uttering a word. Tragically, one student lost their life at the scene, while another was injured as they attempted to flee. The perpetrator managed to escape by hopping over a fence.
Samaniego highlighted the chaotic nature of the incident, stating, “We don’t have any detail about the (shooter), only that he came in and shot the student, and the kids went running, and the wounded (student) was shot right in the gluteus. Then the person jumped the fence and took off.” The wounded student was promptly hospitalized for treatment, while law enforcement units initiated an investigation. An anonymous law enforcement official, involved in the ongoing inquiry, revealed that no suspects were in custody.
Confirming the tragic events, the regional prosecutor’s office stated that they were probing a homicide on the campus grounds. A university spokesperson also verified the shooting incident and assured that further details would be disclosed as the investigation progressed. The community remains in shock as authorities work diligently to uncover the motive behind this senseless act of violence.