مقتل لاعب إكوادوري داخل منزله في إسميرالدا

Ecuadorian football player Jonathan Gonzalez was killed on Friday, marking the third crime affecting an athlete in the South American country since the beginning of September, according to the police.

Authorities stated that the 31-year-old, nicknamed "Speedy" Gonzalez, sustained injuries from gunfire in an attack inside his home in the coastal city of Esmeraldas, which borders Colombia and is plagued by rival gangs involved in drug trafficking. The police did not specify the motives behind the crime.

The player, who was part of the second division team 22 July, had previously represented several clubs including Paraguayan Olimpia and Mexican León.

The Ecuadorian federation and local authorities expressed their condolences to the family of the former international winger. A second person, whose identity has not been disclosed, died while being transported to the hospital.

With the increase in the number of gangs, the crime rate rose from 6 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018 to a record high of 47 in 2023, before dropping to 38 last year.

Mikoul Valencia and Leandro Yebis, players from the second division team Exabromo, were killed in a shooting incident in the coastal city of Manta (southwest) on September 10.

The club stated that the players were killed as a result of an attack aimed at another target.