Guayaquil, Ecuador— Shots rang out at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday outside a busy shopping strip on Avenida 9 de Octubre when gunmen in a white SUV fired at two men standing near a storefront, wounding both before speeding away.
Witnesses said the SUV slowed, a rear window rolled down, and at least six shots were fired. The two victims, ages 24 and 31, collapsed on the sidewalk. Shoppers ran into stores and pulled shutters. The SUV turned north and disappeared into traffic.
Paramedics transported both victims to Luis Vernaza Hospital. Doctors said one suffered a leg wound, the other a shoulder wound. Both were in stable condition by evening. No bystanders were hit.
"It was fast. Bang bang bang. People screamed and ran inside. The car did not stop," said a clothing store employee who hid behind a counter and called ECU911. She said the area has seen extortion threats against shops in recent months.
National Police sealed two blocks and collected nine 9mm casings. Security cameras from three shops captured the SUV with no plates. Investigators believe the attack was targeted, possibly linked to a dispute over protection payments.
"We have video, caliber, and trajectory. The victims have prior police records for micro-trafficking. We are not treating this as random," a police intelligence officer said at the scene. He requested anonymity because the inquiry is ongoing.
Guayaquil has faced a surge in drive-by shootings tied to gang rivalries and extortion. Business owners in the central shopping district have staged protests demanding more patrols. The city deployed military police to commercial corridors last month.
The mayor’s office said it would increase camera coverage and coordinate with the interior ministry on a joint operation. Shop owners closed early Tuesday after the shooting.
Forensic teams lifted fingerprints from a storefront railing where the SUV brushed past. The vehicle was later found burned in a suburb, a common tactic to destroy evidence.
Detectives expect to release suspect descriptions Wednesday after interviewing the victims once cleared by doctors.
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