An armed suspect opened the door of an ambulance in the Santurce neighborhood of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday and fatally shot a man medics were treating for a prior gunshot wound, police said. The victim was a 62-year-old man who had been released from prison in January after serving 25 years on rape convictions. The medics were not injured but were treated for shock, according to police.
Police described the incident as unusually violent, and it was the second fatal shooting in Santurce within two days, raising concerns about a surge of gun violence in the neighborhood.
The shooting
The man was shot near his residence earlier Wednesday, police said. He returned home with a bullet wound, and his mother called 911.
Shortly after an ambulance arrived at the home, a suspect approached the vehicle, opened the door, and shot the man while medics were treating him inside, police said. He died from his wounds. Authorities said the medics were uninjured but received treatment for shock.
Police told reporters that the victim had been freed from prison in January after serving 25 years on rape convictions.
Second violent incident in Santurce in two days
The ambulance shooting was not the first deadly episode in Santurce that week, police said. Early Tuesday, one person was killed and five others were injured outside a club following a fight between security guards and armed men who had attempted to enter the establishment.
No arrests were announced in connection with the ambulance shooting, and police did not name a suspect.