Story By: Jonathan Macias, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
This 15-year-old Colombian boy has claimed in a TV interview that he no longer feels afraid of killing and “likes blood too much” after entering the profession to avenge his brother’s murder.
The teen hitman, who goes by the nickname Santiago, lives with his mother and younger sister in the city of Medellin in the north-western Colombian department of Antioquia Department. He makes 70 GBP per inch killing and use the money to support his mother and sister who is still in school.
In an interview on the TV show ‘Los Informantes’ on Colombian channel ‘Caracol’, the teen said that his younger brother was killed for refusing to be recruited as a hitman for a criminal organisation in Medellin.
He said the gang had tried to recruit him as a hitman, and he had refused them so they didn’t like the idea, but changed his mind when his brother was then murdered.
In order to avenge his brother, Santiago said he managed to kill two of the men who murdered his brother, and is still looking for two others, and while it does so he is working as a full-time assassin, admitting that he cannot stop feeling hatred.
Santiago said of his first mission as a paid assassin: “I borrowed a gun and they told me a motorbike would arrive and take me to the place where I had to kill someone.” The assignment was to visit a private property to connect one that was owned.
According to the minor’s testimony, he was trained by gang members before being sent out on the job.
He said: “They sent me a message on WhatsApp while my mum was asleep. I went to a house with another guy on the back of a motorbike. We broke into the property by kicking down the door.
“He only gave us part of the money so I did what I had to do.”
According to Santiago, the only requirement to becoming a gang hitman is having killed someone before. Then, wannabe paid killers can start making money on every new assignment.
He said: “I work from 11pm until 4am every day selling drugs in the neighbourhood, and I make some money. If I kill someone, they pay me 300,000 COP (70 GBP).”
Santiago said he has been supporting his family since he was 10 years old and currently pays for his younger sister’s high school education.
When asked if he ever feels fear, Santiago answered: “In the beginning, I felt scared, but not anymore. It seems I have ended up liking blood too much.”
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