What Happened
Panama City has seen a sharp wave of violence in recent weeks, with shootings and killings reported across several neighborhoods in the metropolitan area. The incidents have left multiple people dead and injured, deepening concerns over public safety in one of the country’s most populated urban zones.
In the first two months of 2026, the Public Ministry recorded 77 homicides. The year 2025 ended with 593 homicide cases, underscoring the scale of the security challenge facing the capital and surrounding districts.
Key Shootings in the Capital
Authorities link the recent attacks in Juan Díaz, Calidonia, Río Abajo and other areas to territorial disputes over the sale and distribution of drugs. The violence began on March 6 in Costa del Este, where lawyer Nadine de Jesús Pereira was killed by shots fired from a vehicle.
On March 29, former representative candidate Jesús “El Shark” Alemán was shot dead while attending a soccer league match in La Radial, Juan Díaz. Police director Jaime Fernández said four people have already been identified in connection with the case and that Alemán was not the intended target. Ten other people were wounded in that attack.
Another shooting took place on April 3 near the Centenario building, where Jorge Molina, known as Bologna, was killed. He was a relative of Carlos Caicedo, who remains detained on drug-related charges.
On April 6, Jean Carlos Valencia was killed on the vehicular overpass near Metromall. Witnesses said he was being chased by two men on a motorcycle who opened fire on the vehicle he was in. Investigators said Valencia had links to a Bagdad gang cell.
Violence continued on April 7, when 25-year-old Karina Torreglosa died after being shot multiple times while passing through 11 1/2 Street in Río Abajo. Another person in her vehicle was wounded, and ten more people were injured in the same attack and taken to a medical center.
Río Abajo was struck again on April 8, when Santiago Labastid del Río and Iván Alberto Rivera were killed in a shooting carried out by several assailants. Police launched operations to find those responsible, but no arrests had been reported at the time of the events described.
Public Safety Concerns
That same day, two passengers on a Metrobús were injured when gunfire erupted between people traveling in separate vehicles and the bus was caught in the middle. The incident showed how quickly the violence has spilled into ordinary public spaces and transit routes.
Police also carried out a raid in Vacamonte, where officers seized six grenades and 5,330 rounds of ammunition of different calibers, including rifle and pistol ammunition. The discovery points to the firepower circulating among criminal networks operating in and around the capital.
Police subdirector Francisco Castro said the recent incidents are tied to people earning money through criminal activity. He said those involved are linked to different forms of crime and that police are working to dismantle the structures behind the violence.
The recent shootings have added pressure on authorities as Panama City confronts a rise in deadly attacks tied to organized crime and drug trafficking disputes. For residents, the repeated gunfire in busy neighborhoods has turned familiar streets, sports fields and transit corridors into sites of fear.