Paraguay City Mayor in Induced Coma, Fighting for His Life After Gunmen Shot Him 7 Times

A Paraguay city mayor is currently in an induced coma after he was shot seven times in an assassination attempt on Tuesday.

According to Daily Mail, Jose Carlos Acevedo, the 53-year-old mayor of the Paraguayan city of Pedro Juan Caballero, was talking to people in front of a courthouse when gunmen fired at him and fled.

In surveillance footage, at least three men were seen jumping out of a vehicle and opened fire while another man drove the getaway vehicle.

Before the shooting, Acevedo attended a meeting with other municipal leaders. The Paraguay city mayor was reportedly shot four times in the neck, twice in the right arm, and once in the left arm.

Paraguay City Mayor's Condition

Jose Carlos Acevedo was rushed to Vida Vida Hospital, where he is now fighting for his life. Doctors in this hospital managed to revive him after the shooting triggered a heart attack, Infobae reported.

In a medical report, Dr. David Peña said the Paraguay city mayor arrived at the hospital almost bleeding to death. The doctor noted that Acevedo underwent an operation and was still in an induced coma as he continues to be treated with "very high-dose drugs."

He added that Acevedo's brain was also a bit swollen. Peña said the Paraguay city mayor was still in critical condition with unstable vital signs. The doctor noted that they were also concerned about the wounds in the neck since they affected the jaw.

"He lost a lot of blood, which also affected his brain, lungs, and kidneys," the doctor said.

Assassination Attempt on Paraguay City Mayor Jose Carlos Acevedo

A witness who saw the incident recounted how gunmen sprayed bullets at the Paraguay city mayor.

"They sprayed bullets at him. Then they boarded a vehicle and fled," the witness told La Nación, a local newspaper.

Police said at least 15 shots were fired, and the vehicle used by the gunmen was found abandoned and in flames on a road in Portera Ortiz in Pedro Juan Caballero city. Authorities noted that the vehicle was registered in Brazil.

Another witness told the Noticias Paraguay that a hooded person pointed a gun at his face that made him run. When he turned around, the witness said the gunmen started shooting at the mayor.

"I saw the mayor running from the other side of the street and that's when I realized that they were not shooting at me and the attack was not towards me," the witness noted.

Some photos of the moment in which several people tried to help the mayor on the floor after the attack circulated on social media networks. Reports said the mayor was not accompanied by his police-issued security detail at the time of the shooting incident.

Acevedo, a member of the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA), was about to board his Mercedes Benz when he was attacked. An official said Acevedo is carrying out a fight against drug trafficking in the city.

Acevedo is the brother of Amambay Governor Ronald Acevedo and late parliamentarian Robert Acevedo. The assassination attempt came seven months after his 21-year-old niece was executed.

Haylee Acevedo, the governor's daughter, was walking out of a nightclub in Pedro Juan Caballero on October 9 last year when gunmen fired more than 100 shots at her.

Haylee and three other people, including Osmar Vicente Alvarez, an alleged member of the Brazilian gang First Command of the Capital, were pronounced dead at the scene by authorities.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Así Dispararon Contra Intendente Acevedo - From ABC TV Paraguay