Eight people were killed and two others injured when armed attackers opened fire outside a nightclub in southwestern Ecuador. Police Colonel Javier Chango confirmed that officers responded to an emergency call and found seven victims dead at the scene, with an eighth victim later dying from injuries at the hospital.
The attack took place at 1:15 a.m. local time in Santa Lucia, a town of around 38,000 residents in Guayas Province. Gunmen arrived in two pickup trucks and targeted patrons who were drinking outside the nightclub.
Among the victims was Jorge Urquizo, the nightclub owner and brother of Santa Lucia’s mayor.
Investigators recovered about 800 bullet casings at the crime scene. The assailants fled in their vehicles via an unknown escape route following the shooting.
Authorities detained a truck driver near the scene who was carrying a revolver, but it is unclear if he was connected to the attack.
No motive has yet been identified for the violent incident, which left the victims’ bodies transported to a morgue in nearby Daule city.
The mayor’s office issued a statement expressing solidarity with the grieving families and described the shooting as “a violent attack that has struck our community.”
Ecuador has been grappling with rising gang-related violence, with criminal groups linked to international drug cartels fighting for control over trafficking routes. Government data shows that more than 70% of global cocaine shipments now pass through Ecuadorian ports.
In response, President Daniel Noboa declared a two-month state of emergency in Guayas and three other provinces to combat gang activity. However, despite intensified security operations, the wave of killings continues.
Official records indicate that 4,051 homicides occurred between January and May, marking the most violent five-month period in Ecuador’s recent history.
