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Lionel Messi was the subject of a threat after two gunment shot up a supermarket owned by the parents of his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo.
According to the Associated Press, two gunment entered Unico supermarket where they open-fired in the store. The market, owned by Messi’s in-laws, is the third-largest supermarket in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina.
The gunmen littered the place with at least two dozen bullets, according to police, but no one was injured in the attack.
After shooting up the supermarket, the gunmen left a threatening note to the soccer star which read, “Messi, we’re waiting for you. Javkin is also a drug trafficker, so he won’t take care of you.”
Javkin is a reference to Rosario Mayor Pablo Javkin.
A motive for targeting Messi and his family has not been identified.
“The aim is to deliberately cause terror in the population and discourage those of us who are fighting against criminal violence, knowing that it will be an event of global significance,” Celia Arena, a justice minister in Santa Fe, wrote on social media. “Faced with a situation of this scale, unifying efforts is not an alternative: it is an obligation. As has been said on countless occasions, Rosario is experiencing an exceptional situation that demands exceptional responses.”
Ante una situación de esta escala, unificar esfuerzos no es una alternativa: es una obligación. Como ya se dijo en incontables oportunidades, Rosario vive una coyuntura excepcional que exige respuestas excepcionales. Hay antecedentes exitosos que permiten orientar la acción.
— Celia Arena (@celiaarena) March 2, 2023
Messi, who led Argentina to a win in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, is one of the most popular athletes in the world and royalty in Argentina. He currently plays for French club Paris Saint Germain.
Messi has not commented on the incident.
