TBILISI, DFWatch–A man was shot dead in broad daylight on Thursday at a restaurant in central Batumi, a popular seaside resort on Georgia’s Black Sea coast.
The murder occurred around 3:00 pm local time at a grill restaurant near the Le Méridien hotel on Ninoshvili Street.
Authorities say the victim was hit in the back by at least five bullets and died on the spot. Initial reports seem to indicate he was a foreign national, likely a Turkish national. No other injuries were reported.
According to eyewitnesses, the murderer fired from a motorcycle, leading police to suspect a professional hit job. “The fact that no one else was injured indicates that the killer was a professional hitman,” local media reported.
Police and forensic experts quickly cordoned off the crime scene, and closed adjecent streets to traffic. Eye witnesses said the gunfire shattered windows in the restaurant.
