Eight people have reportedly died after a shooting at a Squid Game-themed Halloween party over the weekend, per local news outlet TN News.
The publication alleges that two gangs opened fire at a party in Panama's Santa Ana neighborhood early on Friday morning on October 29.
The festivities were taking place at a bowling alley, where five people were shot dead, seven were injured. Later, three bodies apparently appeared in a rubbish dump close by.
Per local law enforcement, prosecutor, Rafael Baloyes, claimed that the incident started when an individual shot at members of a rival gang called Los Galacticos. They then returned fire.
The individual who started the shooting apparently perished on the spot, while four others died at hospital.
According to TN News, following the tragedy, two people were later arrested — including the brother of one person who was killed during the incident, and who was in possession of a gun.
"We assume that he used the firearm to defend his brother," Baloyes commented.
At a press conference, he spoke about the long history between the two gangs, and insinuated that the violence is likely to continue: "These criminal groups are not going to stop having criminal behavior linked to drug trafficking, gangs... this is going to bring a consequence," he said.
Sadly, this is not an isolated case in the Central American country. In fact, in recent weeks, there have been several similar shooting sprees that have taken place at restaurants and stores, involving rival gangs and their ties to the drug trade.
As reported in dialogo-americas, police in Panama had already seized more than 20 tonnes of drugs within the first two months of 2021.
The South Korean drama, Squid Game, recently took the world by storm, and ended up becoming Netflix's biggest ever show.
The concept revolves around a contest where 456 players - who come from all different walks of life, but each in incredible debt - compete in a series of games for the chance to win a giant cash prize.
Of course, things quickly go awry, and those who lose at the various children's games they are made to play end up paying a deadly price.
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