Ecuador, Quito – At least seven people have been killed and four others have been injured in a crime gang shooting in a pool hall in northern Ecuador, police said on Saturday.
It was the second attack in less than a month in the same city amid a wave of violence in the Andean country.
The shooting occurred late Friday in the city of Santo Domingo do los Czachiras, located in Quito, 130 kilometers (80 miles) west of the capital.
Seven people were killed in a similar attack that occurred in a pool hall in the same city on August 17th.
Police reports say one of the people killed in Friday's shootings and one of the injured had criminal records of drug trafficking, crime associations, murder and theft.
Images shared by local media show several men in black dressed in vests and hats, arrive at the location and quickly set fire to those who fell to the ground.
The vehicle used by the attackers was allegedly burned in another part of the city, Benavides said.
Authorities say Ecuador has faced a wave of violence over the past four years.
President Daniel Novore declared the country to be in an internal conflict, and in January 2024 22 criminal organizations were designated as “terrorist” groups.
But the violence continues. Official figures show that more than 5,500 murders were recorded in the Andean countries between January and July.