Thread by @bellingcat

Lucas Villa, a 37-year-old student, was fatally shot at a peaceful protest in Pereira, Colombia, in May

Bellingcat, @ForensicArchi @cerosetenta & @BaudoAP reconstructed the incident, finding new clues & raising questions about how it has been investigated bellingcat.com/news/2021/12/0…

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP The brutal incident caused outrage in Colombia, which had been engulfed in protests over proposed tax reforms

Yet seven months on, Lucas Villa’s killers remain at large

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP Bellingcat and partners were aided by hitherto unseen CCTV footage shared by Colombia’s Truth Commission as well as social media video taken at the scene.

This allowed us to forensically reconstruct the incident

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP The CCTV footage shows the entire incident from a distance, revealing exactly how events transpired.

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP Two motorised bikes can be seen approaching the scene just after 19:30. An individual alights from the back of one and runs towards Villa, firing eight times and hitting him on three occasions

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP The gunman then returns to the bike he previously jumped off as they make a getaway with a second motorbike leading the escape

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP However, this was not the first sighting of these motorised bikes in the CCTV footage.

The same two bikes can be seen repeatedly circling the scene in the 30 minutes before the shooting, suggesting they were planning the attack and scoping out a getaway

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP One wound to Villa’s head displayed abrasions from gunpowder, suggesting the weapon was fired execution-style from a short distance away

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP Why Lucas Villa was picked out by the killers remains unclear, but the evidence appears to suggest the attack was premeditated and targeted

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP Police also appear to have missed opportunities to protect the crime scene, likely leading to evidence being lost and witnesses leaving without being questioned

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP Police officers on a motorbike passed a bridge overlooking the scene minutes later, appearing to stop and engage with people observing the crime scene before moving on.

Another police vehicle passed by without stopping shortly after

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP Social media videos also show cars and motorbikes speeding through the crime scene with the road open to traffic once all protesters had dispersed. Key evidence was likely altered or lost before police secured the area.

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP A Facebook live video which ended 46 minutes after the shooting showed police still had not arrived at the scene.

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP This appears to contradict claims made by the Director of Colombia’s Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol (DIJIN) who said that officers arrived immediately.

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP Given CCTV footage was vital to investigating this case, Bellingcat sought to find out what other security camera footage may be available

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP A letter found on Colombia’s state tender platform dated May 2, three days before Lucas Villa was shot, detailed cameras in Pereira and their operating status

While the camera closest to the crime scene was out of commission, others could prove useful

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP One camera could potentially have spotted the killers making their getaway while another could have helped inform police of the incident

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP At time of publication, the investigating authorities in Colombia have not released any further information about CCTV camera footage in or around the crime scene.

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP Read the full Bellingcat investigation by @mabl2k here: bellingcat.com/news/2021/12/0…

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP @Mabl2K Read the article in Spanish here: es.bellingcat.com/noticias/2021/…

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP @Mabl2K Watch a video reconstruction of events made by @forensicarchi herehttps://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/the-murder-of-lucas-villa

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP @Mabl2K Read the @cerosetenta version of this story here: cerosetenta.uniandes.edu.co/la-pieza-que-f…

@ForensicArchi @cerosetenta @BaudoAP @Mabl2K Read the @BaudoAP version of the story here: baudoap.com/elasesinatodel…