Barricaded Gunman in San Miguel Triggers Hospital Lockdown and GOPE Response

An armed man barricaded himself on an upper floor of a residential tower on Alcalde Pedro Alarcón Street in the Santiago suburb of San Miguel early Wednesday, firing several shots that witnesses said were directed toward the neighboring Hospital Barros Luco Trudeau. Special-operations officers from Carabineros de Chile’s GOPE unit cordoned off the block and were negotiating with the suspect as of late morning. Authorities have not disclosed the man’s identity, his motives or whether anyone else is inside the apartment. Hospital Barros Luco activated its security protocol in coordination with police and municipal officials. The emergency department continued to operate and the hospital said no patients or staff had been harmed. Police urged residents to avoid the area while the standoff continues.