American lawyer arrested for fatally shooting two environmental protesters at Panama road blockade: police

Kenneth Darlington, 77, a retired lawyer, was arrested in Panama after he allegedly shot dead two environmental activists who were part of a group of protesters blocking a busy highway on Tuesday afternoon. The shocking incident was captured on video and posted online.

The incident unfolded when Darlington got stuck in a traffic jam due to a blockade set up by demonstrators on the Pan-American Highway in Chame, about 50 miles west of Panama City, the country's capital.

Wearing glasses, gray hair, and a beard, Darlington appeared in a video walking up to the protesters. The group was protesting a government mining contract that allows a Canadian company to extract copper for the next 20 years.

In the video, Darlington can be seen exchanging words with the demonstrators before pulling out a gun. He attempted to move the items blocking the road and waved the gun around.

In a disturbing turn of events, Darlington shot one of the victims, who fell to the ground while holding a flag. He then proceeded to open fire again, hitting another man in a black T-shirt. The injured protester staggered to the side of the road and collapsed.

One of the victims died at the scene, and the other succumbed to injuries later in the hospital. The protesters were identified as Abdiel Díaz and Iván Mendoza. Abdiel was an educator, and Iván was the husband of an educator in the San Carlos district.

Kenneth Darlington is a dual American and Panamanian citizen. He was remanded in custody after appearing before a judge in the town of La Espiga. Due to his age, if convicted, he could potentially serve house arrest instead of jail time.

Images and videos of the shooting were captured by local media, who were covering the ongoing protest. These roadblocks have caused significant financial losses and have resulted in the closure of schools nationwide for over a week.

Panama President Laurentino Cortizo expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and stated that such violence has no place in society.

The Pan-American Highway, the world's largest motorable route, stretches nearly 19,000 miles from Alaska to Argentina with a break in the Darién Gap.