A brutal shooting at a nightclub in rural Ecuador claimed the lives of eight people and left three others wounded. Authorities believe the incident is the latest act of violence tied to organised crime networks.
Police Colonel Javier Chango reported that seven victims died instantly, while another succumbed to injuries in hospital. The shooting happened in Santa Lucia, a town of about 38,000 people in Guayas province. Guayas is among four provinces placed under a two-month state of emergency by President Daniel Noboa earlier this week to combat rising gang violence.
Police Colonel Javier Chango said the gunmen arrived in two pick-up trucks and opened fire on customers gathered outside the Napoles nightclub at about 1:15 a.m. local time (0615 GMT). In the chaos, seven victims died instantly, while one more succumbed to injuries in hospital. The attackers fled via an “unknown route,” leaving more than 800 cartridge cases scattered at the scene.
Among those killed was nightclub owner Jorge Urquizo, the brother of Santa Lucia’s mayor. The motive behind the attack remains unclear. “We are open to all hypotheses; we can’t rule any out yet,” Chango told reporters, noting that the investigation is ongoing.
The massacre comes amid a deepening security crisis in Ecuador, particularly in Guayas, one of four provinces under a two-month state of emergency declared earlier this week by President Daniel Noboa to combat rampant gang violence.
In the first half of 2025 alone, the country registered 4,619 murders — a 47% surge compared to the same period last year. The wave of bloodshed follows a grim trend since 2023, Ecuador’s deadliest year on record, with 8,008 homicides and a staggering murder rate of 47 per 100,000 residents. This marks a dramatic escalation from 6.7 per 100,000 in 2020, according to data from the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.
Also Read: Gunmen Storm Ecuador Nightclub: Eight Dead As Gang Violence Grips Guayas Province
