Shooting in Puerto Rico's capital leaves 5 dead

At least five people were killed on Sunday night during a shooting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, authorities said.

The victims were identified as Alexis Rafael Peralta, 33, Janiel Morales Perez, 34, Jonathan Burgos Marrero, 40, Javier Oliver Olmos, 48, and Jorge Luis Sanchez, 39.

A preliminary investigation suggests that those responsible for the shooting reportedly went to a public housing complex to take revenge for the theft of several kilos of drugs.

"The preliminary information is that it is not a war between sides from one sector to another, but it is a matter where they were looking for a particular person, because it is allegedly a matter of controlled substances," said Lieutenant Colonel Pedro Sanchez in a telephone interview with El Nuevo Dia.

Three of the victims had criminal records for weapons, drugs, and Law 54. Four of them were residents of the area and one was in the area visiting his grandmother, the media reported.

The events occurred in front of building 10 in Villa Esperanza, where a drug dealing point is located. Four of the victims died at the scene, but the fifth tried to escape. His body was found on the second floor of an annex building.

Authorities do not have a description of the vehicles in which the suspects opened fire after arriving at the residence. Investigators are reviewing security camera videos to try to identify the route taken by the attackers.

So far this year, 237 violent deaths have been reported, two more than those recorded for the same period in 2021, according to the newspaper.