Prominent Bulgarian businessman Alexey Petrov was shot dead Wednesday by unidentified gunmen in the capital Sofia.
The incident occurred around noon in the suburb of Dragalevtsi and a female companion was injured, Bulgaria's BTA news agency reported, citing the Interior Ministry.
Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated by the Prosecution Office in Sofia.
Speaking to reporters, Sofia City Prosecutor Iliana Kirilova said that Petrov's guards are being questioned over the incident.
Petrov was born in 1962 in Teteven and graduated from the police academy in 1981.
Later he became a full-time employee of the communist-era State Security Service and was employed as a commando in the Interior Ministry's anti-terror squad.
Petrov started a private business in the capital and was a partner in over 50 companies by 2002.
According to the report, he was previously the target of assassination attempts three times, in 1999, 2002 and 2015.
