Pereira Bus Robbery Turns Deadly, One Dead As Armed Assailants Open Fire Inside Vehicle

Pereira, Colombia— One passenger was shot dead Saturday afternoon inside a public bus when two armed men boarded near the city center and attempted to rob riders at gunpoint, then fired as one man resisted before jumping off and disappearing into traffic. The attack happened around 2:30 p.m.

The bus, route 27 covering Cuba to downtown Pereira, was carrying 28 passengers. Witnesses said the two men boarded at the stop near Parque El Lago. They pulled knives first, then one revealed a revolver. They demanded phones and wallets. A 42-year-old passenger, a hardware store clerk heading home, pushed one attacker’s arm. The gun went off. The bullet hit his chest. He died between the seats.

“He said no. That was it. One shot,” said a woman who sat two rows behind. She was holding her bag tight. “Everyone screamed. The driver didn’t stop. The robbers pulled the cord and jumped at the next light.” The driver later told police he was afraid they would shoot him if he stopped abruptly. He drove two more blocks to a police CAI.

Pereira’s bus robberies have spiked 34 percent this year, according to Metropolitan Police data. Route 27 is one of the worst hit. Drivers say they report daily, but patrols are thin. One driver union rep said, “We are alone. No cameras work. No police ride with us. The robbers know.” The bus had a security camera. It was not recording. The hard drive had been stolen weeks ago.

Police said they recovered a cell phone dropped by one suspect and a knife under a seat. No arrests by 6 p.m. The victim’s body remained inside the bus for almost an hour as forensic teams worked around passengers who refused to leave. Some were in shock. One elderly woman sat crying, her wallet still in her hand.

The mayor’s office said it would install “panic buttons” and GPS on buses. The same promise was made in February after a similar killing on route 19. The buttons were never installed. The transit secretary said the project was “in procurement.”

Passengers of that route now ride with windows closed and bags hidden. They look at who boards. They get off early.

The investigation is led by the Pereira prosecutor’s homicide unit. The bus is impounded as evidence.

The suspects are still at large. The route is running again.