Lionel Messi was threatened by gunmen who opened fire at a supermarket owned by his wife
Antonela Roccuzzo‘s family in Argentina. The terrifying attack took place at the Unico supermarket located in the city of Rosario, which is the third largest urban-hub in the country, on Thursday, March 2. The note, written on cardboard, was confirmed by police, and read, “Messi, we’re waiting for you. Javkin is also a drug trafficker, so he won’t take care of you,” per AP News.
The gunmen fired at least a dozen bullets and arrived on motorcycles. It’s unclear why Messi or his in-laws were targeted directly, however, this is the first time that the family has received this kind of attack. The city’s mayor Pablo Javkin has also gotten involved: per reports, the mayor addressed police over on-going drug-related violence in the city which is 190 miles away from Buenos Aires. The investigation is continuing as police will continue to review security camera video.
Lionel himself or his in-laws have yet to give any public commentary on the incident.
The soccer star — who is considered the greatest of all time — has been in the news a fair amount lately, particularly since winning Argentina’s first World Cup after 36 years in Qatar in Dec. 2022. The South American native plays for Paris Saint-Germain, where he also lives the majority of time.
Celia Arena, who is a justice minister for Santa Fe, also spoke out after the incident. “The aim is to deliberately cause terror in the population and discourage those of us who are fighting against criminal violence, knowing that it will be an event of global significance,” Arena said via social media on March 2.