What to know
- A 9-year-old NYC boy was shot in the head while visiting the Dominican Republic on spring break; it happened not long after he left the airport with his father. He died
- Five men in the Dominican Republic have been charged with murder; a number of women are also being questioned in the case, and the president of the island nation says justice will be served
- Gioser Luis Feliz Camilo, a Bronx fourth-grader, was mourned at a wake in the Dominican Republic Friday; his remains will eventually be flown back to the United States
A 9-year-old New York City boy was shot and killed less than an hour after arriving in the Dominican Republic for a spring break family trip — and despite several arrests, many, including the island nation's president, want more answers.
Gioser Luis Feliz Camilo, a Bronx fourth-grader, died Wednesday when a group of men allegedly followed the car he and his father took from Cibao International Airport and tried to stop them. The boy's father, Sergio Luis Feliz, and at least one other person were also in the vehicle, heading to the town of Villa Vásquez, when they were cut off.
"We passed the toll, and it was after they got in front of us," the distraught father said. "We didn't stop, and we continued. And it was at that moment that they shot."
Five men were arrested for his murder within 24 hours, Dominican Republic National Police officials said. A sixth man was arrested on Friday, Telemundo reported.
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The president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, confirmed the arrests on Twitter and said he had been following "this horrendous crime" since he first learned of the boy's death.
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"Now justice must be ensured in the courts," his translated tweet read. (Obtenga todos los detalles en español aquí.)
Investigators said they are questioning five women in connection with the case, though only the five men have been arrested. Officials say the men rented a white vehicle and used it to tail the car the little boy was riding in. No one else was shot, apparently. The Bronx boy died at a children's hospital in Santiago a short time after suffering the gunshot to the head.
Police have not stated what they think a possible motive for the shooting was.
His family held a wake for him Friday in the Dominican Republic. They plan to fly his remains back to the Bronx in the next few days.
