A foreign businessman was shot and killed during a robbery attempt gone sour in Costa Rica. According to a news report filed by metro journalist Gabriela Moreira Leitón of daily tabloid Diario Extra, the incident took place Wednesday night in the Concepción neighborhood of Alajuelita, part of the Greater San Jose Metropolitan Area (Spanish initials: GAM).

Reports from law enforcement agents who rushed to the scene of the shooting indicate that the victim was an Asian expat who had been residing in our country for a few years. He was the proprietor of the Palmera mini-super in Concepción. In Costa Rica, traditional convenience stores are called “pulperías” while their modern counterparts are called “mini-super.” True to their name, the latter are arranged in the style of a small supermarket while the former feature walk-up counters.

According to the news story written by Ms. Moreira Leitón, a suspect entered the Palmera mini-super late at night and immediately pulled out a firearm, which he pointed at those who were minding the store at the time. The decedent shielded the staff members, who were presumably his relatives; he then became enraged at the suspect and physically resisted the robbery attempt.

A struggle ensued between the expat and the suspect; as the two men were wrestling for possession of the handgun, a shot was fired and the victim fell to the ground as blood gushed out of the entry wound on his chest. The assailant ran away as the staff helped their defender, who was fighting for his life. The brave expat was rushed in a privately-owned vehicle to the nearby Solon Nuñez medical center; regrettably, he was declared dead on arrival.

Agents from the Official of Judicial Investigations (Spanish initials: OIJ) have not formally identified the departed expat, but they are examining evidence and following leads as to where the shooter may be hiding.