Ibarra Shooting Leaves One Dead and Six Injured as Two Teen Suspects Are Detained

A violent attack unfolded Saturday night on Calle Flores in Ibarra, Ecuador, while a giant screen broadcast the Ecuador‑Curacao football match. Two armed adolescents opened fire, firing more than a dozen rounds into the crowd. A 16‑year‑old girl was killed and six people were wounded, including municipal councilwoman Mery Congo, a 47‑year‑old Colombian man, a 38‑year‑old Ecuadorian man and a 39‑year‑old woman with a knee injury.

Governor Jorge Ortiz condemned the incident and confirmed that one teenager was apprehended a short distance from the scene after a police chase; a second suspect fled. Both suspects are reported to come from Ecuador’s coastal region. Police and army units responded, treating the injured at San Vicente de Pusir Hospital and continuing the investigation.

Authorities identified a second adolescent, aged 16, as involved in the shooting. The event has heightened concerns over rising violence linked to illegal mining and criminal gangs in the region.