Ecuadorian soccer player, 16, killed by stray bullet in Guayaquil

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — A 16-year-old soccer player from the youth academy of Independiente del Valle was fatally shot when he was struck by a stray bullet at home in the port city of Guayaquil, police said Wednesday.

Miguel Nazareno was at home “when he unfortunately became a victim of the insecurity affecting our country,” the soccer team said in an Instagram post, citing a wave of criminal violence began in Ecuador almost five years ago.

“We extend our most sincere condolences and all our support to his family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time,” the team’s post added.

Nazareno, who played as a midfielder and forward, was the victim of a stray bullet, according to police.

Nazareno became the fourth soccer player killed by gunfire in Ecuador this year. In September, Maicol Valencia and Leandro Yépez, both from Exapromo Costa, and Jonathan González, from 22 de Junio, were killed.

Both Exapromo Costa and 22 de Junio are second-division squads.

Nazareno played for Independiente del Valle’s Under-18 team. Several Ecuadorian national team players who play for European clubs, such as Moisés Caicedo (Chelsea) and Piero Hincapié (Bayer Leverkusen), came up through the ranks at Independiente del Valle.

Since 2021, Ecuador has experienced a growing criminal violence by gangs operating in coordination with Colombian and Mexican cartels involved in drug trafficking.

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