Operator News
Chile – Tragedy as gunman kills five in slot parlour in Chile
By Phil - 12 August 2019
Five people have been killed at a slot machine parlour in Chile. The gunman entered the slot machine parlour on Thursday night in the town of Puente Alto, where he fired more than 70 shots.
Two people died at the scene and two others subsequently died at the Sótero del Río Hospital while undergoing surgery. Later, a woman also died at the Alejandro del Río SAPU Health Centre.
Prosecutor Héctor Barros confirmed the presence of a lone shooter, with a high-powered “loaded weapon with lots of ammunition.”
Local homicide detectives have already identified the attacker and a search is underway for his whereabouts. The motive for the attack is still unknown but it is believed that the attack occurred shortly after an altercation took place outside the premises. One of the men fled inside while the other pulled a gun and chased him inside, firing indiscriminately.
The victims were identified as Luis Bórquez Arriagada (46), Yessica Reyes Arellano (47), Jimmy Ávalos Gallardo (18), Yerko Riveros Muñoz (18) and Milton Lara Iturra (38).
The attack will undoubtedly put pressure on the government to crackdown on slot machines outside of casinos especially on “neighbourhood casinos” as they are known locally.
President Sebastián Piñera’s administration has announced that the draft law on slot machines that is currently underway in the National Congress will now become a matter of extreme urgency. The decision was taken as a result of a recent report which revealed that slot machines operating outside of casinos in Chile are illegal since none have the required certification issued by those companies authorized by the Chilean Gaming Control Board (SJC).
