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Jonathan Gonzalez, a former Ecuador international, was shot dead in Esmeraldas.
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He became the third footballer killed in the country this month.
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The tragedy highlights Ecuador’s growing struggle with gang violence.
Jonathan Gonzalez, a former Ecuador international and winger nicknamed “Speedy”, was shot dead on Friday in the coastal province of Esmeraldas, police said.
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Authorities said the 31-year-old suffered gunshot wounds inside a house in Esmeraldas, a region that borders Colombia and has been hit by gang violence.
A second person was also wounded in the attack and died while being rushed to hospital, officials added.
Gonzalez had been playing for second-division side 22 de Julio FC and previously had spells abroad, including at León in Mexico and Olimpia in Paraguay.
He was a recognized figure in Ecuadorian football.
His killing is the third death of a professional footballer reported in Ecuador this month.
Earlier in September, two Exapromo Costa FC players, Maicol Valencia and Leandro Yépez, were shot in an attack in Manta.
Valencia died at the scene and Yépez died days later.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/09/third-soccer-player-killed-in-ecuador-in-september/
The attacks come amid a sharp rise in violent crime across Ecuador in recent years.
Authorities had to deal with drug-trafficking networks and gang-related violence when the country’s homicide rate skyrocketed in 2018 and hit all-time highs in 2023.
Football clubs and the Ecuadorian Football Federation offered condolences to Jonathan Gonzalez’s family and called for calm while investigations continue.
Police haven’t published a motive, and inquiries are ongoing.
