Murder of Minister by Gunfire

The Minister of Environment in the Dominican Republic, Orlando Jorge Mera, was shot dead in his ministry building, according to several sources reported by "Agence France-Presse." An armed man stormed into the minister's weekly meeting with his deputies and opened fire, according to three sources inside the ministry who requested anonymity. The police are currently refusing to make any statement. A team from "Agence France-Presse" at the scene observed a special police unit entering the ministry in search of the shooter, who had barricaded himself inside. The Ministry of Environment tweeted: "We are horrified by what happened," without providing any details about the suspected shooter, who appears to have had easy access to secure areas within the ministry. Orlando Jorge Mera is the son of former Dominican President Salvador Jorge Blanco (1982-1986).