Two young men died and a teenager was wounded in a shooting between rival groups in Recoleta on Thursday night. Mayor Fares Jadue (PC) demanded stronger government measures against organized crime and firearms use. Authorities are investigating the incidents in Recoleta and Independencia.
Around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, at the intersection of Colo-Colo and Universidad de Chile streets in Recoleta, a shootout between two rival groups involved at least 10 shots. The clash left two young men dead, aged 21 and 20—one with six bullet wounds who died at Clínica Dávila—and a 15-year-old boy wounded in the abdomen, now at Hospital San José in Independencia.
Captain Patricio Cavieres of Carabineros' Northern Prefecture reported that two victims first arrived at Hospital San José and a third at the clinic, where he succumbed. Hours later in Independencia, a 28-year-old foreign man was killed in a second homicide. Carabineros is conducting forensics to check for links between the attacks, with the Public Ministry directing specialized inquiries.
Recoleta's mayor, Fares Jadue (PC), responded on social media: “Recoleta deserves to live in peace. Our families deserve tranquility.” He urged the government: “It is essential to strengthen measures to confront organized crime and the use of weapons in our territories.” He added: “We cannot normalize armed violence taking over our neighborhoods or our neighbors living in fear. What happened last night is of utmost gravity and demands clear responses.”
Jadue emphasized that the municipality will bolster prevention and public space recovery, but it requires greater state effort.
