The young hitman who tried to kill Colombian senator Miguel Uribe: ‘I’m sorry, I did it for the money, for my family’

Colombia remains in shock following the Saturday assassination attempt against Miguel Uribe Turbay, a senator and presidential hopeful. Images of the attack, which occurred at an impromptu rally in a park in western Bogotá, show a tall young man in the crowd approaching the politician from behind. When he is a few feet away, he raises a gun and shoots several times, until Uribe falls to the ground from two bullets in the head. A brief chase ensued, ending with the capture of the young man, who was shot in the leg. Authorities have revealed that the suspect is 14 years old — although some early reports suggested he was 15 — and part of a government program for at-risk youths. He has been described by authorities as having a “completely conflictive” personality. The Prosecutor’s Office will charge him with attempted murder and illegal possession of weapons.

The minor has been hospitalized at a medical center near the scene of the crime and is under the custody of dozens of police officers. Authorities believe he is the last link in the chain of those responsible for the attack, as he is most likely a contract killer, according to the Attorney General’s Office’s initial line of investigation. “We are fully aware that this young man who was arrested is merely the perpetrator,” stated Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo.

The teenage shooter lived with an aunt in Villas de Alcalá, a low-income neighborhood in the western end of the Colombian capital. Authorities raided the home on Sunday in search of evidence to shed light on the investigation. The minor’s support network was limited: his mother is deceased, and his father is not in the country. Several reports indicate that he is in Poland, where he allegedly traveled to volunteer for the war in Ukraine. The minor was contacted in late May by the District Institute for the Protection of Children and Youth (IDIPRON) to participate in the Bogotá City Hall’s social programs.

President Gustavo Petro has confirmed this account: “The district government had already identified the child killer’s conflictual nature, included him in one of its programs, and then transferred him to one of my government’s programs: Youth in Peace,” he stated on X. This program, created by Petro, aims to help young Colombians living in extreme poverty or residing in regions affected by widespread violence, in part to prevent them from falling prey to violence and illegal activities. “The information I have from the professionals is that he evidenced a completely conflictive personality, incapable of establishing intersocial connections. He lasted two months, did not attend any classes, and then voluntarily dropped out,” the president added.

The young man’s arrest occurred a few minutes after the attack, for which he used a Glock semi-automatic pistol. Although he managed to flee the scene, several police officers and security personnel shot him in the leg and grabbed him while he was limping away. In a video recorded at the time of his arrest, he can be heard saying: “It was the olla man, I’ll tell you who it was, let me give you the numbers,” as he was brought to the ground. According to police sources cited by El Tiempo, there are two “ollas” (areas where micro-trafficking networks operate) in the minor’s neighborhood, which are now being searched. In the footage, he can also be seen shouting: “I’m sorry, I did it for the money, for my family.”

The fact that the attacker is underage has sparked a debate about his judicial future. The Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF), the state agency charged with protecting children and adolescents, rejected the “manipulation” and exploitation of young people to commit criminal acts, a statement that was met with opposition from sectors calling for the minor to be tried as an adult. Astrid Cáceres, director of the ICBF, has stated that he wants to cooperate with the justice system. “There are already agreements with the Prosecutor’s Office to ensure the boy’s safety, exceptional conditions for the case we are dealing with,” the official stated. The teen has already been assigned a public defender and will also be accompanied by a social worker.

The Prosecutor’s Office has announced that it will charge the minor with attempted murder and illegal possession of weapons. The maximum penalty for both crimes is eight years in prison, as the punishments are less severe when committed by a minor. As the Attorney General explained this Monday, Colombian law establishes that these young offenders are also victims of a particular context, and this facilitates their plea bargain.

If found guilty, the young man will not go to jail: he will be held in one of the so-called Specialized Care Centers, where minors between the ages of 14 and 17 who have committed a crime are sent. The young man is expected to be indicted on Tuesday, after the hearing scheduled for the previous day was postponed at the request of the medical team treating him.

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