Ecuador Pool Hall Shooting Leaves 7 Dead
Seven Killed in Pool Hall Shooting in Ecuador
SANTO DOMINGO – At least seven people were shot dead inside a pool hall in Santo Domingo, a bustling nightlife district about 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of Quito, police confirmed.
According to officials, armed men wearing black masks opened fire on two individuals standing at the entrance of the hall, causing panic as pedestrians scattered for safety. Security footage circulating online appears to show the attackers storming inside the building, continuing to shoot before fleeing as a police vehicle arrived. The video has not been independently verified.
The attack follows a similar massacre just last month in the coastal tourist city of General Villamil Playas, where nine people were killed in another pool hall shooting.
Ecuador, once seen as one of Latin America’s safer countries, is now facing a surge in violence linked to drug trafficking networks. Powerful cartels have expanded operations, using the country’s ports as key transit points for cocaine shipments to the United States and Europe.
The escalation has fueled a dramatic rise in killings, with Ecuador’s homicide rate climbing from six per 100,000 residents in 2018 to 38 per 100,000 in 2024.
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