A violent workplace altercation erupted into gunfire Monday afternoon at a Chinese-owned retail establishment in Verón–Punta Cana, leaving three individuals wounded and resulting in one arrest. The incident occurred approximately at 5:10 p.m. local time at the ‘Long’ store situated on Barceló Avenue adjacent to the Olé supermarket.
According to criminal investigators from DICRIM, the confrontation originated from a heated verbal exchange between two employees: 24-year-old Haitian national Natacha Benjamin and her 46-year-old Dominican colleague Carmela Bello Raúl. Witnesses reported the argument intensified to near-physical violence, prompting security guard Rafael Hernández Hernández to intercede and separate the disputing parties.
During the intervention, authorities report that Benjamin allegedly seized the guard’s service weapon—a Taurus .38 caliber revolver—and discharged four rounds within the confined retail space. The gunfire resulted in multiple casualties, including Mayloveda Pierre, a Haitian national who sustained a critical neck wound with an exit injury, and Dorcelin Climat, another Haitian employee who suffered a gunshot wound to the left leg. Both Bello Raúl and an unidentified customer present during the incident also received injuries.
Preliminary investigations reveal that two male employees attempted to subdue Benjamin after the initial shot but were subsequently wounded during the struggle. Law enforcement personnel apprehended the alleged aggressor at the scene, where she remains in custody pending formal judicial proceedings.
National Police forensic teams continue evidence collection and investigation into the precise circumstances surrounding the escalation. Medical authorities have not yet released official condition updates for the three hospitalized Haitian nationals as the investigation continues to develop.
