Heartbroken father warns parents not to upload ‘nothing’ to social media about travel after his nine-year-old son was shot dead by muggers just 30 minutes after landing in the Dominican Republic
- Goiser Luís Feli, 9, was shot with his family just 30 minutes after arriving in the Dominican Republic
- After the driver of the car they were in was attacked by a gang of thieves, the driver refused to stop
- The American boy was shot in the head and died during an operation at a nearby hospital
A 9-year-old American boy was shot dead by muggers just half an hour after landing in the Dominican Republic.
Gioser Luís Feli arrived Wednesday with his family at Santiago’s Cibao International Airport to travel on spring break, just before their car was attacked by a gang of thieves.
The driver of the car reportedly refused to stop after the robbers charged, who then opened fire before driving away.
Gioser was tragically hit in the head and died during an operation in hospital, according to Diario Libre.
The day after the attack, the National Police arrested five men involved in the shooting: Luis Angel Vargas Brito (18), Derlin Javier Mercado Martínez, César Junior Ulloa Cuevas, José Manuel Almonte Santana (20) and Elian Martínez Sánchez (22) .
Gioser Luís Feli, 9, died shortly after he and his family arrived in the Dominican Republic after being shot in the head during an attempted robbery
The tragic shooting happened after the family were picked up by an unnamed friend of the boy’s father, Sergio Luis Feliz Mancebo.
After landing in the Dominican Republic for the child’s spring break, they were due to spend several days in the country before returning to New York next Monday.
In a video posted after the loss of his son, Sergio said the family were intercepted by muggers as they passed through a tollbooth.
The gang then opened fire when the driver of the car, a friend of the father, refused to stop and tried to flee.
One of the bullets hit the boy in the head and he was taken to a local hospital for emergency surgery before being pronounced dead. His body is being transported back to the United States.
The attackers fled the scene in a white Hyundai, which police used to track them down and arrest them after discovering they had rented it just before the botched heist.
A press release added that the men “confessed” their involvement in the shooting.
“These detainees were caught by video surveillance cameras in this terminal and from there they followed the victim’s father,” added a police spokesman after the arrests.
The boy’s father, Sergio Luis Feliz Mancebo, told police that the robbers opened fire when the driver of the car refused to stop
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said he was “following up the case” after the boy’s death shocked the nation
The boy’s father warned travelers against sharing information on social media if traveling to the Dominican Republic after posting photos of the family at JFK Airport as they waited to board their flight on Wednesday.
The 9-year-old’s death sent shockwaves across the Dominican Republic, with news of the arrests being praised by the nation’s President Luis Abinader.
“I’ve been following the case since I found out about the death of the child Gioser Luis Féliz,” he said on Twitter.
“I was informed by the Director of the National Police of the arrest of the 5 criminals who committed this appalling crime. Now justice must be done in court.’
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.