La Estrella [San Esperito]

[Phonx]

17 KILLED IN SHOOTING IN SE CITY

In a shooting today in San Esperito City 17 people have been murdered. The murders are believed to be drug related. This is the 26th shooting in SE City this month with the police believed to be at a breaking point with around 2 shootings everyday. The murders have lead to calls for the government to declare a state of emergency to deal with the situation. This year there has already been a 58% increase in drug related violence compared to last year.

The impact is also felt on the youngest in the country with around 237,000 under 16s having lost at least one parent to the gun violence. On the scene of the shooting a young girl could be seen crying over the body of her dead father. "The impact on our young people is immense. Sometimes it can lead their family to fall even further into poverty because if they lose a parent, especially a father, a large proportion of their income is gone. So then they may be forced to leave school to help support the family meaning that facilities to help them with their mental health are lost. The government really needs to step up in this regard." said child psychologist Dr. Luisa Murillo.

The good news from this extremely sad story is that the SE City police chief, Raul Arboleda, says the police are on the trail of the person who committed this horrific crime.