Panama international Gilberto Hernandez shot dead aged 26, father begs gunmen to turn themselves in

Panama footballer Gilberto Hernandez was shot dead on Sunday, September 3, after gunmen fired bullets at a group of people in Colon province.

According to the Football Express, Hernandez, who made his international debut earlier this year, was gunned down while he was near a building with a group of people.

Based on the reports, the 26-year-old was the target of the gunmen as no other deaths were recorded from the scene. However, six individuals were injured in the fearsome shooting incident. A worker from a nearby restaurant narrated the incident (via AP):

“He was with childhood friends and they planned to go to the beach in the afternoon when the shooting happened. We’re sad, the street is mourning.”

According to BBC, the two armed men who initiated the attack also tried fleeing away after they invaded a taxi. However, one of the suspects has been caught by the local police while the other remains unapprehended.

Gilberto Hernandez used to play as a central defender for the Panama national team as well as the Liga Panameña de Fútbol side, Club Atletico Independiente. The late footballer earned two caps for the national team and made more than 100 appearances in club football.

Gilberto Hernandez's father urges gangs to stop the harm and violence in Colon

The capital of Panama, Colon, has seen a significant rise in crimes such as gun violence and murders in the last few months. Several gangs have been fighting against each other to obtain control over the drug-smuggling routes of the city.

After losing his son, Gilberto Hernandez's father requested the gangs to stop the crimes and violence. He also called out legal authorities and stated that they should take action against the perpetrators of violent crime and save the youth.

This is not the first time a football player has been gunned down in Panama. In 2017, Club Deportivo Árabe Unido midfielder Amílcar Henríquez was also killed by armed men in Colon province (aged 33 at the time).

He was also going to be a part of the Panama national team, which made history by qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.