An unknown assailant shot and killed the Dominican Republic's Environment Minister Orlando Jorge Mera after entering the ministry, the country's government said on Monday.

Authorities have been sparse with details about the situation, although the presidency said the shooter had been detained by police.

What we know so far

Jorge Mera was killed in an office in the Environment Ministry, which is located in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo.

A spokesperson for President Luis Abinader confirmed his death in a statement, saying the suspected gunman was a close friend of the late minister and had been detained by police.

"We express our deepest condolences" to Jorge Mera's family, the spokesperson said, offering the government's support.

Mera was part of a powerful political family, as the son of a former Dominican president, Jorge Blanco. His sister is a deputy minister in Abinader's administration.

Authorities did not immediately release further details and it was unclear whether others were injured.

The environment ministry confirmed that an incident had taken place, writing on Twitter that they were "troubled by the situation."

Reporters on the scene reported a large police and emergency vehicle presence at the building.

Jorge Mera's death was mourned by fellow government official Bartolome Pujals, who heads the Dominican government's Cabinet of Innovation.

"His death is a tragedy," Pujals wrote on Twitter. "We Dominicans have to come together to achieve a pact for peace and peaceful coexistence. No more violence."

Jorge Mera was a 55-year-old lawyer and founding member of the center-left Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM). He was appointed to head the Environment Ministry in August 2020. He was also the son of former Dominican President Salvador Jorge Blanco, who held office from 1982 to 1986.

rs/msh (AP, AFP, EFE)