In a shocking incident, 17 people were killed in a mass shooting at La Clínica bar in El Empalme, Ecuador, on Sunday night, with a 12-year-old boy among the victims. The attack, characterized by gunmen firing indiscriminately into the bar from two pickup trucks, resulted in 14 additional injuries, according to the office of Ecuador's attorney general. Police Major Oscar Valencia reported that the assailants used both rifles and pistols and continued firing at fleeing individuals.
Witnesses recounted that a young boy ran over a kilometer before he collapsed and succumbed to his gunshot wounds, illustrating the tragedy of the attack. Local media circulated images showing multiple bodies covered with white sheets scattered throughout the scene. Investigators recovered over 40 pieces of ballistic evidence, suggesting a coordinated and premeditated assault.
Major Valencia indicated that the shooters shouted "active wolves," hinting at the involvement of local gangs competing for drug trafficking control in the area. The Guayas region, where El Empalme is located, has seen a significant uptick in violent crime connected to the drug trade. Just a week earlier, nine individuals were gunned down while playing pool in a bar in the coastal resort town of Playas, also within Guayas, highlighting the pervasive threat of violence.
In response to the rising chaos, President Daniel Noboa declared a war on organized crime last year, but statistics reveal that Ecuador's homicide rate has soared to 38 per 100,000 people in 2024. Official figures indicate that the nation witnessed 4,051 homicides in the first five months of 2025 alone. As Ecuador grapples with its drug-related violence, the international community continues to monitor its situation, knowing that nearly three-quarters of the world’s cocaine passes through its borders.
