Investigations into the deaths of five people in Santiago are progressing slowly.

Santiago, DR — More than two weeks after the confusing incident that occurred on September 10, in which five people lost their lives during an alleged confrontation with a police patrol, the investigation is progressing slowly, generating concern and uncertainty among the victims’ families.

The silence of the National Police and the Santiago Prosecutor’s Office keeps public opinion in suspense, while questions persist about the true circumstances of the incident. 

So far, authorities have not provided an official report explaining what triggered the exchange of gunfire or why so many people were killed in a single attack.

Relatives of some of the deceased have expressed their frustration at the lack of information and demanded that the Prosecutor’s Office clarify the case. “We are waiting for a clear explanation of what happened. We can’t just rely on rumors,” said one of the relatives, who requested anonymity.

Various sectors of civil society and human rights defenders have reiterated their call to authorities to guarantee a transparent and independent investigation and to inform the public of progress, to prevent the case from falling into impunity.

The deceased were identified as Edward Bernardo Peña Rodríguez, Carlos Enrique Guzmán Navarro (alias Charly Chasc), José Vladimir Valerio Estévez, Elvis Antonio Martínez Rodríguez, and Julio Alberto Gómez. All died while receiving medical care at the José María Cabral y Báez Hospital in Santiago.

Vladimir Valerio was serving a customer at his barbershop and was about to go out to eat when the shooting occurred.

His partner, Gabriela, also defended his memory: “He wasn’t a criminal. If they have evidence to prove it, let them present it. All he did was work and fight for his dream,” she added.

The family insists that their main objective is to clear Vladimir’s name and that of his client, while demanding justice for what they consider to be disproportionate actions by the National Police.

Gabriela Mercedes Espinal Estévez, the deceased’s sister, along with other family members, visits the place where Vladimir was shot down every afternoon after the incident.

There, they stand carrying banners with messages demanding justice and highlighting their relatives’ qualities. Both the Santiago Police and the prosecutor’s office have remained silent regarding the case. They have only stated that they are investigating.

However, when questioned, a source from the Santiago prosecutor’s office stated that the Public Ministry concluded the preliminary phase of the investigation into what happened on September 10, where the five people were killed. An alleged police officer was injured in the alleged confrontation between National Police officers and a group of men in front of a barbershop, located on Olímpica Avenue, in the La Barranquita sector, in the Santiago province.