Boxing instructor killed in Colegiales after MMA dispute: suspect arrested
Gonzalo Andueza (40), a personal trainer and boxing instructor, was shot dead in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Colegiales. The suspect was arrested hours later with the weapon in his rucksack.
Combat sports discussion ends with boxing instructor dead in Colegiales
According to Clarin.com, Gonzalo Iñaki Andueza, 40 years old, a boxing instructor and personal trainer, died on Sunday after being shot in the early morning at the intersection of Moldes and Aguilar streets, in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Colegiales.
The night had begun routinely. Andueza attended a birthday celebration with two of his students. He taught classes at gyms in the neighbourhoods of Almagro and Belgrano, and also worked as a physical trainer and instructor in CrossFit and functional training.
On Saturday 19 July, one of his students brought a friend who was visiting the city. The four of them shared the celebration until two in the morning, then continued in a bar and later in a plaza in the neighbourhood.
The shooting and the suspect's flight
Around 4 on Sunday morning, a shot shattered the early morning. Witnesses identified Hernán Ariel Vaney, 25 years old, who lived between Santa Clara del Mar and Belgrano, as the perpetrator. The fourth member of the group had moved away briefly when he heard the detonation.
According to the reconstruction carried out by investigators during the first hours, Vaney and Andueza had been drinking that night, although they did not know each other beforehand. The meeting was circumstantial, brought about through intermediaries.
Testimonies point to an exchange of opinions linked to sport. Vaney maintained that a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter could easily defeat a boxer. Andueza, who had dedicated himself to boxing for many years, defended the opposite position. According to investigators, this disagreement—which did not escalate—was the only precedent they could establish before the crime.
One question remains unanswered: if both practised combat sports, why did the discussion not lead to a fight and instead end in a shooting?
Fatal wounds and death
Whilst his companions attempted to assist him, Vaney fled the scene. Andueza was taken to Pirovano Hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen that affected his liver, pancreas and spleen. He died around 3 p.m. on Sunday, despite the efforts of the medical team.
The gyms where he worked paid tribute to him on social media. From the Solo Box account they wrote: "I will remember you as long as I live, friend". Sparring Dojo published a photograph of the instructor with the message: "We say goodbye to our teacher with great sadness. We will not forget you, Gonza. Rest in peace".
Arrest with weapon in rucksack
Whilst doctors fought for Andueza's life, the City Police tracked down the suspect. At 7 p.m. on Sunday, officers were waiting for a search warrant for a property on Avenida Cabildo at number 100, at the home of a relative of Vaney's.
Before the court authorised entry to the building, Vaney attempted to leave the premises with a rucksack in hand. A numberplate-less motorcycle, allegedly from a ride-sharing application, was waiting for him at the door. He was arrested at that moment.
In the rucksack he was carrying a Taurus Millennium pistol, calibre 9 millimetres, three magazines and 34 rounds, of the same type as the cartridge found at the crime scene. No one in the group knew that Vaney was carrying a weapon that night, and the reason why he left armed remains one of the central focuses of the ongoing investigation.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires