San Juan: At least five persons were killed and four critically wounded after a drive-by shooting at a streetside bar in Puerto Rico, according to police on Tuesday. The incident is believed to be tied to drug trafficking, which is uncommon in the territory despite it being a transit point for multimillion-dollar drug shipments out of South America.
Police said in a statement that unknown suspects in a moving car opened fire in the northern town of Toa Baja. Three men and two women were killed, and three women and one man were hospitalised. Among those in critical condition was the brother of the former mayor of the coastal town of Cataño, according to police.
Authorities said a 35-year-old suspected drug dealer killed in the shooting appeared to be the target. No arrests have been made so far. In Puerto Rico, at least 74 killings have been reported on the island of 3.2 million inhabitants this year, six more than in the same period last year.
Last month, four men and a 16-year-old boy were fatally shot along a highway in another drug-related attack in the eastern town of Ceiba. The incident was also believed to be linked with drug trafficking.
(with inputs from AP)
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