The first images have emerged showing the dramatic moment a gunman fires repeatedly at an Argentinian supermarket owned by the family of Lionel Messi ’s wife before leaving a chilling hand-written message for the footballer.
The hooded attacker is pictured extending his right arm with a pistol clearly visible in his hand as a motorbike is driven by an accomplice. It is thought to have been taken from CCTV cameras in the area now in the hands of police and prosecution investigators.
Respected Argentinian news website TN published the grainy image, the first yet of the early-hours attack, overnight as police continued to hunt the two men responsible.
After firing more than a dozen bullets into the front of Supermercado Unido, owned by Antonela Roccuzzo’s parents and managed by her cousin, the gunman left a handwritten note at the crime scene which said: “Messi, we are waiting for you. Javkin is a narco. He’s not going to look after you.”
Pablo Javkin is the mayor of Rosario, where Messi was born, and authorities are battling violent drug gangs who have made it Argentina’s most violent city. No one was hurt in the incident but several bullets passed through the window and into the store.
The threat has been interpreted by some in Argentina as an attempt by local drug lords to extort money out of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner. Mauricio Macri, an Argentinian businessman who served as the South American country's president from 2015 to 2019, described the incident as terrible and offered his support to the footballer and his wife.
Referring to Lionel by his shortened name of Leo, as he is better known in his homeland and other Spanish-speaking countries, and alluding to the drug-fuelled violence in Rosario, he tweeted: "This is terrible. Another warning to the national government and the government of Santa Fe that you cannot co-exist with narcos. They have to be firmly fought."
In a clear message ahead of Argentina's general elections scheduled to take place in October, he added: "At the end of the year, this will begin to change. All my support for Leo, Antonela and their families." The supermarket was expected to remain closed following the gun attack just after 3am local time on Thursday, but it ended up reopening with a police guard inside.
Messi trained with PSG as normal on Thursday despite the attack and is expected to play in this Saturday’s league game against Nantes.
Claudio Brilloni, the Security Minister for Santa Fe province, which Rosario is part of, told local press after travelling to the scene of the attack there was no firm working theory about why it had occurred despite reports pointing to a possible attempt to extort money from the Paris Saint-Germain forward. He said: “This is a very serious incident for me. It would be foolish of me to offer any hypothesis at the moment.”
Father-of-three 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 Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero and Barcelona manager Xavi. Rosario registered a record 287 murders last year, equating to one every 30 hours, making it the bloodiest year ever for the city.
70 per cent of the murders were linked to conflicts between rival drugs gangs. 90 per cent of the murders were committed using firearms. The number of women murdered in the city tripled between 2021 and 2022.
