A retired American lawyer has been charged with the murder of two environmental protestors after he fatally shot them on a highway in Panama.
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Video footage showed the moment when Kenneth Darlington,77, opened fire on two protestors blocking a highway in the Chame district after saying ‘this ends here.’ According to the Daily Mail, the shooting occurred after Darlington was arguing with a group of protestors, which included the two male victims, and the footage of the shooting was recorded by photographers and television crews.
Darlington, who has dual citizenship in the United States and Panama, had a previous conviction of possessing illegal firearms. The two victims’ lawyer, Elicér Plicett, said Darlington is being charged with intentional homicide and unlawful possession of a gun. Still, he might avoid serving jail time because of his age.
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For three weeks, the protestors have opposed the Panamanian government’s decision with a Canadian firm to open Central America’s biggest open-pit copper mine for another 20 years. The mine is located in an environmentally protected area, and Darlington was reportedly stuck in traffic caused by the protest since activists created a roadblock.
Darlington reportedly took out his handgun and began clearing the roadblock on the highway while arguing with protestors. Most of the protestors were teachers, and he said he didn’t want to speak with women but preferred to talk to men about the situation. According to local reports, the protestors asked Darlington what he would do with his handgun. One said, ‘Are you going to kill someone?’ to which Darlington replied, ‘Do you want to be the first?’ The first victim was wearing a black shirt with a blue hat and carrying a flag when he was shot. Police identified him as Abdiel Díaz, and they said he died at the scene.
Another victim, Iván Rodríguez,62, was transported to a local hospital in San Carlos but later died from his injuries. Darlington continued to clear the roadblock after the shooting and returned to the car with his gun in his hand. A woman who accompanied him in his vehicle contacted the National Police Agents after Darlington wanted to flee the scene after the shooting.
In 2005, Darlington was arrested for illegally possessing an AK-47 and M-16 after they were found in his Panama City apartment. Still, he was later acquitted after a court accepted that they were a part of his collection.