Ecuadorian Footballer Mario Pineida Shot Dead at 33
Ecuadorian defender Mario Pineida has tragically passed away at the age of 33 after being shot in Guayaquil.
According to local media reports, Pineida was attacked on Wednesday by two individuals on motorbikes who opened fire on him, his mother, and another woman outside a shop in the northern part of the city.
The Ecuadorian Interior Ministry has dispatched a special police unit to investigate the incident.
Guayaquil has increasingly become a hotspot for gang violence and drug trafficking, with 1,900 murders reported between January and September, marking the highest rate in Ecuador.
In September, three second-tier footballers were killed, and a local player was injured in a shooting in October.
Pineida earned nine caps for the Ecuador national team between 2014 and 2021. He began his club career at Independiente DV before joining Barcelona SC in Guayaquil in 2016. He also had loan spells at Fluminense and El Nacional.
Independiente and Fluminense paid tribute to Pineida on social media, while Barcelona SC expressed that "this unfortunate news has left all of us who are part of this institution deeply dismayed."
In a statement, the Ecuadorian Football Federation condemned the violence and extended condolences to Pineida's family.