Football Referee Shot Dead During Match in Ecuador

^{Pictured: Referee Javier Ortega}

A football referee, Javier Ortega, was shot dead during an amateur match in Ecuador. The incident took place on April 14 in the city of Pasaje, El Oro province, according to the New York Post.

The 48-year-old Ortega was officiating the game when several armed men approached him on the field and opened fire. He reportedly sustained at least one gunshot wound.

Paramedics who arrived at the scene pronounced him dead.

Following the attack, the match was immediately halted. Players and spectators fled the venue fearing for their safety. The attackers escaped, and their identities had not been established at the time of publication.

Police have launched an investigation. Investigators are reviewing mobile phone footage and interviewing witnesses. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the killing was targeted.

The incident is the latest in a series of violent episodes linked to football in Ecuador. In December 2025, national team player Mario Pineda was shot dead in Guayaquil. Earlier, in September 2025, several players from local clubs were killed in separate armed incidents, and a month before that, a 16-year-old player died after being struck by a stray bullet.

Earlier, Gambling Park reported on the killing of Edgar Paez, the director of Colombian football club Tigres de Bogotá.