Gunman shot dead at Venezuela’s Central Bank after injuring 2

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By BNO NEWS

An armed man opened fire inside Venezuela’s Central Bank (BCV) in downtown Caracas on Monday, wounding two guards before being shot dead by security officers.

The gunman attempted to go inside the financial tower of the BCV but when two security guards denied him access he shot them, according to local newspaper El Universal, which cited sources who were inside the bank.

The gunman briefly took a woman hostage in the reception area until he was confronted by security guards, resulting in a shootout that lasted less than an hour, according to media reports.

“He wounded two guards, fortunately they are stable and are currently in a clinic,” Central Bank President Nelson Merentes told the Reuters news agency. Merentes added that the gunman’s motives were unclear.

Workers locked themselves in their offices during the shootout between the gunman and security forces, Reuters reported. BCV said in a tweet that the “irregular situation” that occurred at the bank had been resolved.

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