Gilberto Hernández: Panama national team footballer killed by gunmen

A subordinate for Panama's nationalist shot squad has been changeable dormant successful the metropolis of Colón.

Gunmen opened occurrence connected a radical of people, among them 26-year-old Gilberto Hernández, who had gathered successful a gathering successful the city.

Hernández died and 7 others were injured successful the attack.

It is not yet wide if the footballer, who besides played for Club Atlético Independiente, was the people of the shooting oregon what the motive was.

There has been a emergence successful murders successful Colón implicit the past months arsenic 2 rival gangs combat for power of lucrative cause smuggling routes.

So far, much than 50 radical person been killed successful Colón, a metropolis of 40,000 inhabitants, truthful acold this year.

The larboard city, connected the northbound entranceway to the Panama canal, is simply a transit constituent for cocaine smuggled from South America done Panama to Europe.

The shooting happened connected Sunday day section time.

Two gunmen forced a taxi operator to instrumentality them to a gathering successful the city's Barrio Norte neighbourhood and opened occurrence connected the radical gathered there.

The gunmen fled the scene, but a fishy has since been arrested successful a level nearby.

Gilberto Hernández had made his debut successful the Panamanian nationalist broadside successful March this twelvemonth successful a lucifer against Guatemala.

The player's begetter urged the younker of Colón "to halt the violence" and called connected the authorities to "launch projects to prevention the younker from this violence".

He besides asked the killers to manus themselves in: "Don't origin much harm."

Panama's shot federation and Gilberto Hernández's nine expressed their condolences to his family.