A man and his three children, aged 9, 11, and 19, were found dead after a violent incident that involved gunfire and arson. The National Police and related agencies filed a tip-off in western Honduras, in the Intibucá region, on Friday. The victims were killed and later cremated in the Yamaranguila municipality, according to a preliminary report from the Honduran Police.
Honduran resident Gilberto Bautista and his three children were reportedly targeted by a man named Selvin Sánchez while they were gathering arrowroot near their home in the village of Oloas. The deceased were identified as 19-year-old Eduardo Josué, Allan Fernando (11), and Erlin Santiago Bautista (9).
“They were collecting ocote (wood) to sell in a corn field when someone attacked them with a gun and then burned them,” said the wife and mother of the deceased, María Gómez.
The widow alleged that Gilberto Bautista’s 42-year-old aunt bore responsibility for the massacre, suggesting that the incident may have stemmed from a land dispute. “His aunt was his enemy and ordered him killed for a land,” she said tearfully and with a broken voice.
Official sources note that Honduras faces a high level of violence compared with many other countries. Local authorities have reported that an average of ten to fifteen murders occur daily, even in times of relative peace, underscoring a persistent public safety challenge. The incident in Intibucá is being reviewed within this broader context of national crime trends and public security concerns, and investigators are pursuing leads to determine a motive and identify others who may have been involved.
Authorities emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and that additional details will be released as they become available. Community leaders and residents have expressed shock over the incident, calling for calm and urging cooperation with law enforcement to help resolve the case swiftly and ensure accountability for those responsible.