Ecuador: Two fatal shootings reported in Guayas and Cañar

Two separate fatal shootings have been reported in Ecuador involving targeted attacks on roadways.

In the province of Cañar, Judge Ramón Abad, 58, was killed in an ambush in the La Troncal canton. According to reports, attackers on a motorcycle followed Abad's vehicle from El Triunfo before opening fire with long weapons. The gunfire caused the judge to lose control of his car and crash into a residence. Witnesses stated that attackers then pulled the victim from the vehicle and shot him at close range. Investigators recovered approximately 15 ballistic fragments at the scene.

In Guayas, 39-year-old Manuel Ezequiel Mora Pinela was shot and killed while crossing a road near the entrance to the Lomas de Sargentillo canton. Police report that two individuals on a motorcycle intercepted Mora and opened fire while he was walking. The victim was identified by relatives through social media images. The Violent Deaths Unit (Dinased) is currently reviewing security footage and interviewing local business owners to determine the motive behind the attack.