Authorities from the Dominican Republic’s National Police have confirmed that three people have been wounded by gunfire in two unconnected violent events that unfolded in Santiago de los Caballeros, one involving a confrontation with law enforcement and another sparked by a road conflict. Responding patrol units moved quickly to bring both situations under control, and official investigations into the circumstances of each incident are now ongoing.
The first of the two violent episodes took place in the Los Salados neighborhood. Officials say a 28-year-old man mistook arriving police officers for people with whom he had an ongoing personal dispute, and confronted the patrol with a machete when officers attempted to stop him to conduct a routine identification check. After the suspect responded with aggressive behavior, officers fired a single shot to neutralize the threat, leaving the man with a leg wound. A check of law enforcement databases revealed the injured man already has two prior criminal convictions for robbery and homicide.
The second shooting occurred along Estrella Sadhalá Avenue, where a vehicle collision escalated into a high-speed chase that left two men wounded. One of the targeted individuals suffered gunshot wounds to both thighs, while a second bystander passing through the area was accidentally struck by a bullet in the right shoulder. Preliminary investigative findings show multiple suspects traveling in a black sedan opened fire on the victims during the chase that followed the initial traffic crash. When officers arrived at the scene to secure the area, they recovered an abandoned 9mm pistol near the shooting location. The recovered weapon currently has no valid legal registration.
National Police representatives confirmed that active investigative work will continue to fully piece together the details of both incidents and track down any additional suspects linked to the violence, particularly the shooters involved in the road dispute-related attack.