On the night of the incident, assailants traveling in two pickup trucks opened fire indiscriminately with firearms, including pistols and rifles. Police Major Oscar Valencia revealed that one of the victims, a young boy, attempted to flee but tragically succumbed to his injuries after running over a kilometer. Graphic images from local media depicted the gruesome scene, with several bodies covered in white sheets lying on the street, as investigators recovered at least 40 ballistic pieces of evidence.
Witnesses reported that the attackers shouted "active wolves," a phrase linked to a local gang contending for drug trafficking dominance in the region. The violence is symptomatic of a larger crisis in Guayas, where, just a week earlier, another shooting claimed nine lives in a pool hall at a tourist destination, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the violence.
In light of this escalation, President Daniel Noboa has declared a war on organized crime as part of an effort to restore order to a nation now facing one of the highest homicide rates in the region, with statistics showing 38 murders per 100,000 people as of 2024. The first five months of 2025 have already seen 4,051 recorded homicides, prompting urgent calls for action against rampant drug trafficking that affects nearly three-quarters of the world’s cocaine supply transiting through Ecuador.
Witnesses reported that the attackers shouted "active wolves," a phrase linked to a local gang contending for drug trafficking dominance in the region. The violence is symptomatic of a larger crisis in Guayas, where, just a week earlier, another shooting claimed nine lives in a pool hall at a tourist destination, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the violence.
In light of this escalation, President Daniel Noboa has declared a war on organized crime as part of an effort to restore order to a nation now facing one of the highest homicide rates in the region, with statistics showing 38 murders per 100,000 people as of 2024. The first five months of 2025 have already seen 4,051 recorded homicides, prompting urgent calls for action against rampant drug trafficking that affects nearly three-quarters of the world’s cocaine supply transiting through Ecuador.
