Marco Holguín shot dead in 20 shots in southwestern Guayaquil despite prior threats
Marco Holguín, a 36-year-old father, was gunned down outside his home on 32nd Street and O Street. His family had warned him about death threats.
Family warned victim about threats, but Holguín disregarded them
Marco Holguín, a 36-year-old father of the family, was shot dead on Thursday, 1 October on alleyway 32 and O Street, in southwestern Guayaquil, just metres from his own home. According to extra.ec, the man had received prior death threats, supposedly linked to his past involvement with a criminal organisation.
The mother of his ex-partner told EXTRA that Holguín's relatives urged him to stay away from the street corners of the neighbourhood. "We had already told him not to go out, to stay inside," said the woman, visibly distressed, the morning following the crime.
Final moments before the attack
According to the same source, Marco was conversing with a relative outside his home minutes before the attack. When that person left, the shots began. "They told me there was a shooting at my granddaughters' house and I only came to see how the girls were. When I arrived I was met with the news that their father had been killed," the woman said.
Holguín's body fell just metres from his house door. Forensic and Dinased units attended the scene to gather evidence and collect testimony.
His daughters witnessed the gunfire
Holguín leaves two daughters aged 11 and 8, the product of his relationship with his ex-partner, and a 13-year-old son. The girls, who according to their maternal grandmother "were very close to him", were nearby at the time of the attack. "The girls later told me that they ran to hide because there were 20 shots. They are devastated," the woman said.
At the home of the victim's father, an elderly man, the scene was equally painful: when speaking of the wake and burial, he broke down in tears and was consoled by his 13-year-old grandson in a prolonged embrace.
Questions about police response
The mother of Holguín's ex-partner also denounced that in the sector, violent incidents—robberies, kidnappings, extortion and murders—repeat without effective police presence. According to her account, when she called the police after the crime, officers took a prolonged time to arrive. "And not to mention there is a UPC three blocks away!" she emphasised, referring to the Community Police Unit located in the vicinity.
The woman also expressed her doubts about the functioning of security cameras installed in the area. "Let's hope they were active and can identify the shooter," she said in concluding her testimony.
As of the time of publication, no arrests related to the crime had been reported.
Source: Google News EC — Guayaquil