Gunmen left a threatening message on Thursday for Lionel Messi and opened fire at a supermarket owned by his in-laws in his hometown of Rosario, police said.
Nobody was injured in the early morning attack, and it was unclear why assailants would target the Argentina star or the supermarket, which is owned by the family of his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo.
Police said two men on a motorcycle fired at least a dozen shots into the supermarket in the early hours, and left a message on a piece of cardboard that read, “Messi, we’re waiting for you. [Rosario mayor Pablo] Javkin is also a drug trafficker, so he won’t take care of you.”
Messi, who captained Argentina to victory at last year’s World Cup, has not commented on the incident. Messi plays for Paris Saint-Germain and spends much of his time overseas, though he often visits Rosario where he has a home in the suburb of Funes.
Staff clean up after the attack on the supermarket in Rosario. Photograph: Franco Trovato Fuoco/EPA
In Rosario, prosecutor Federico Rébola said authorities were reviewing security camera footage and that the investigation was “preliminary.” It was the first time Messi’s in-laws had received this kind of threat, he added.
Celia Arena, justice minister for Santa Fe province, where Rosario is located, said the attack amounted to “terrorism” by a “mafia” group meant to intimidate the broader population.
Meanwhile, Javkin attacked federal authorities over what he called their failure to curb a surge in drug-related violence in Rosario, which is located about 190 miles northwest of Buenos Aires.
Javkin, a center-left politician in opposition to the ruling Peronist coalition, appeared to throw suspicion of complicity for the attack on criminal gangs and federal security officials.
“I doubt everyone, even those who are supposed to protect us,” Javkin said in an interview with a local radio station.
He said the supermarket was in a section of Rosario that has seen frequent crimes, and that he has raised the issue in recent meetings with federal and provincial law enforcement officials, but no action has been taken.
“Where are the ones who need to take care of us?” Javkin said. “It’s clear that those who have the weapons and have the possibility of investigating the criminals aren’t doing it, and it’s very easy for any gang to carry out something like this.”
Supermarket owned by Lionel Messi’s in-laws is attacked by gunmen ‘who demand money from the footballer’
The supermarket, which is called Supermercado Unico, is said to belong to Antonela’s family and is understood to be managed by one of her cousins.
It is expected to remain closed today following the gun attack around 2am.
Two people were seen driving a motorbike before shooting at the metal shutters.
Police reported the suspects discarded the note to be found before leaving.
An investigation is ongoing.
The city is the country’s most violent, witnessing 250 murders in the first 11 months of 2022. This made it the third most violent year on record when data was collected.
The homicide rate in the city is four times the national average, and 70% of murders have been linked to organised crime.
Police gather at the Unico supermarket, a chain owned by soccer player Lionel Messi’s in-laws
A police officer takes pictures of bullet holes, since marked as part of the investigation
Image shows the supermarket with shutters down in Rosario city, Argentina
Messi owns a huge mansion on the outskirts of Rosario called ‘The Fortress.’
The monster property, built on three adjoining plots of land in a gated private estate, has a huge cinema, gym and underground garage with enough space for 15 cars.
He married Antonela in a glitzy wedding at Rosario’s City Centre Hotel and Casino in June 2017.
Guests included former Man City striker Sergio Aguero and Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez.
