The sniper who attempted to assassinate a Colombian opposition senator has been identified as a minor in their teens, and it has been determined that a firearm smuggled from the United States was used in the crime.
On the 9th (local time), local media such as El Tiempo and Caracol News reported that Carlos Fernando Triana, head of the Korean National Police Agency, stated that "the individual being investigated for attempted assassination and illegal possession and use of firearms, known as a sicario (hitman), is 14 years old," and "it has been determined that he fired the weapon aiming at the back of the victim's left ear after being commissioned by a person presumed to be a drug trafficker."
The attempted assassin is reported to have stated to the police that they were instructed to attack the politician by an individual known as "El Hombre de Oya" (the man with the pot). In Colombia, it is common to smuggle drugs in tools resembling pots or cauldrons referred to as "Oya." The Colombian police also confirmed that the firearm used in the crime (a 9mm Glock pistol) was purchased in Arizona and subsequently smuggled into the country.
Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay (39), who was shot while giving a speech at a performance in downtown Bogotá on the 7th, is reported to be in critical condition after undergoing surgery in the hospital. He is a member of the right-wing opposition (Centro Democrático) and was gathering support as one of about five candidates within the party, ahead of the presidential election scheduled for May 31 next year.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on his X (formerly Twitter), "Strangely, I was informed that on the day of the attack, the security detail for Senator Uribe was reduced from the usual seven to three," adding, "I have instructed the authorities to thoroughly investigate the circumstances."