Journalists Killed in 2013 - Motive Unconfirmed: Luis Choy
| Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
| Publication Date | 1 March 2014 |
| Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Killed in 2013 - Motive Unconfirmed: Luis Choy, 1 March 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5333e8e5d.html [accessed 23 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
El Comercio
February 23, 2013, in Lima, Peru
Choy, 39, was shot dead outside his home in Lima by an unidentified assailant, according to news reports citing witnesses. The witnesses told police that Choy was leaving his house when a man persuaded him to get out of his car. The two spoke briefly before the man shot the journalist twice in the abdomen and once in the head. The gunman then fled the scene in a waiting vehicle, news reports said.
Choy was a photographer for the leading Peruvian daily El Comercio. News accounts did not immediately report whether Choy had covered any crime or corruption-related issues before he was killed.
Choy also sold cars and was in the process of selling his own vehicle. Antonieta Sandoval, Choy's mother, told the RPP radio network in the capital that the gunman had tricked her son by pretending he was a client interested in purchasing the car. News accounts reported that the gunman did not steal Choy's car or the large amount of money found in the journalist's pockets.
Cesar Cortijo, director of police criminal investigations, said in a press conference on February 24 that authorities had yet to determine a motive in the murder. Raúl Salazar, Peru's national police chief, announced that a special police unit was being formed to investigate the murder.
Choy's murder occurred amid a string of homicides in Lima. Authorities released statistics in February that showed the number of homicides and abductions had more than doubled since 2000.
Motive Unconfirmed: CPJ is investigating to determine whether the death was work-related.
