Police Detain One Person After Gunfire Erupts in Montevideo’s Marconi Neighborhood

Police detained a man after finding him collecting bullet casings at the scene of a gun battle in Montevideo’s Marconi neighborhood. Officers found about 13 casings at the location.

The police ShotSpotter system detected a burst of gunfire at about 1 p.m. near a bridge at the intersection of Wellington and Rambla Costanera. Police said two people on a motorcycle fired the shots, allegedly targeting a local drug-selling outlet and coming from another neighborhood.

When officers arrived, another burst of about 30 shots came from densely vegetated land near a settlement. Police asked journalists at the scene to shelter behind their vehicles and lie on the ground. Several television channels broadcast the incident live.

Afterward, an officer spotted a suspicious car on Torricelli Street, prompting a search. Scientific Police personnel later saw a man picking up shell casings and detained him. People on the sidewalk ran into their homes for shelter. No injuries were reported, but a neighbor’s car suffered two hits in its rear door, after another bullet struck its front door about a week earlier.

Personnel from the High Operational Dedication Program deployed in the neighborhood to search for those involved.