1 dead and 1 injured after gunman opens fire on University of Panama campus in rural area: Official

PANAMA CITY, Panama — An unidentified gunman opened fire on a group of students on a rural campus of the University of Panama on Friday, killing one student and wounding another before escaping, according to university officials.

University Rector Eduardo Flores C. said via the social platform X that at the time of the shooting, agricultural science students were doing field work at the university’s regional center in Veraguas, about 250 kilometers southwest of the capital.

The director of the regional campus where the shooting occurred, Pedro Samaniego, did not witness the shooting but was on campus.

Samaniego said the man approached a group of six freshmen students around 11 a.m. and opened fire without saying a word.

One student died at the scene, another was shot and injured while fleeing. The shooters then jumped over a fence and escaped.

“We don’t know any details about the (shooter), just that he came in and shot the student and the kids started running and the injured (student) was shot directly in the gluteus muscle,” he said. “Then the person jumped the fence and started running.”

The injured student was taken to hospital.

A police official, who requested anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation, said no one was in custody.

The public prosecutor’s office announced via X that it was investigating a murder case on campus.

A university spokesman also confirmed the shooting and announced that further information would be released.