A 78-year-old retiree shot and killed a 15-year-old boy who attempted to rob him outside his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as shown in a disturbing video that has gone viral.
The surveillance footage captures the moment the teenager and his accomplices drive up in a van next to the elderly man, who is preparing to exit his white Toyota Hilux on the night of Monday, January 27. The teenager swiftly jumps out of the van before it fully stops, aiming what appears to be a handgun at the driver.
As the teen tries to open the driver’s door, the 78-year-old man draws a .357 Magnum pistol and fires at the boy, fatally wounding him. The teenager collapses to the ground as the van speeds off. The elderly man fires another shot at the teen on the ground and then shoots two more rounds at the van, according to the footage.
Police confirmed that the elderly man fired five shots in total, hitting the teen in the skull and chest. The teen, described online by a friend as a “great person,” was holding a fake gun resembling a gray .22-caliber mini Bersa Thunder.
Authorities are still searching for the two other individuals who were in the van at the time of the attempted robbery. The Departmental Investigations Directorate is treating the case as an aggravated robbery involving suspected gang members.
Local prosecutor Diego Rulli, who is overseeing the case, has stated that no charges will be filed against the 78-year-old man, as he acted in self-defense and was legally carrying the weapon.
The incident has shocked Buenos Aires, marking the second such case in January 2025. The first involved another minor being shot and killed while attempting to steal a motorcycle in the La Tablada neighborhood.
