Overview
- Municipal officials received two threatening emails sent through the municipality's Zimbra webmail that warned of an imminent mass shooting and claimed bombs had been placed at universities, hospitals and tourist sites.
- The second message identified the sender as a 20-year-old named Rafael Mauriola and described plans to commit a shooting and livestream it, raising police concern about a possible real-world attack.
- Mayor Juan Francisco Cevallos López said the municipality will file a formal complaint with the Policía Nacional del Perú and has referred the case to specialized cybercrime units and Divincri Piura for investigation.
- Investigators are prioritizing digital forensics and IP traceback to locate the origin of the emails while the Palacio Municipal operates under strict access controls and staff and residents remain on high alert.
- Cybersecurity experts and municipal leaders say the mass mailing to the state Zimbra system suggests prior reconnaissance of institutional data, highlighting local gaps in protection and wider extortion risks in northern Peru.