A land dispute in Buenos Aires province ended with a shooting that left five people dead and eight injured. The attack took place Sunday afternoon when three community leaders opened fire against local residents of an informal neighborhood after being accused of allowing people to illegally settle on the land. 

Four people were killed during the attack: Tomás Waldo Velázquez Chávez (28), Eduardo Rivera (23), Gregorio Mamani, and Leonel Enzo Tuco Tapia (29). 16-year-old Luis Fernando Bascope was injured during the shootout and rushed to intensive care, but died on Monday due to his injuries.  

According to Télam, the incident began during a neighborhood meeting in a settlement located in the La Matanza district. They had gathered to discuss what to do with a lot of land that had turned into a source of tension, given that local residents say it had been initially allocated to be turned into a public square, but that community leaders, known as delegates, had been selling it off and allowing people to illegally settle there. 

The argument over the square began to escalate into threats of violence, which led to one of the leaders drawing a gun and firing it into the air. A chase ensued, with residents throwing rocks and sticks against the three delegates, who responded by firing back against the crowd and fleeing the scene. 

According to the police, the attackers fired more than 40 rounds of 9-mm ammunition. 

Speaking to Crónica TV station following the incident, a resident confirmed that the source of the altercation was the alleged sale of the lot. “We wanted to turn a vacant green space into a square for the kids, and they started selling it off. We wanted to put together a Directive Council and get rid of the delegates because we were tired of them; all they did was take money from us, and we were sick of it,” the woman said.  

La Matanza Homicide Unit Prosecutor Carlos Arribas is currently investigating the case. No arrests have been made yet. 

— with information from Télam