Gang attack on a funeral service in Manta leaves four dead and 16 injured, including children

Four people were killed and 16 were injured during a funeral Thursday morning in Manta in what police are calling gang-related “revenge killings.”

The scene of the Thursday morning attack on mourners at a Manta funeral home.

Four of those injured were children.

The attack occurred at about 10 a.m. at the Jardines del Edén funeral home in Manta at the service for transit officer Andrés Moreira who was murdered May 16 near Guayaquil.

Manabi Police Chief, Patricio Almendáriz said that at least five men committed the attack. “The gunmen entered the viewing room of the funeral home and used long rifles and handguns, shooting indiscriminately,” he said.

The police chief said the shooters arrived in two cars, one of which was found abandoned nearby. He did explain why he believes the killers targeted friends and family of Moreira except to say that a large amount of cash was found near Moreira’s body following his murder.

Manta Mayor Agustín Intriago said he is awaiting information about why innocent people we targeted. “This transcends the usual settling of accounts among gangs and all that can be described as an organized crime event,” he said. “Why, in the name of Jesus were little children shot? Why is Manta experiencing this hell?”

According to Intriago, there have been 85 murders in Manta since the beginning of the year. “Five years ago, we would have had less than 10 murders by the time. We need help and we need it now.”