Two gunmen on a motorbike attacked a Rosario supermarket owned by the family of Lionel Messi's wife, Antonela Roccuzzo.
The attackers fired 14 shots in the early hours of Thursday at the food store called “Unico.” They also left a menacing note for the superstar himself.
The attackers wrote, “Messi, we are waiting for you. Javkin is a drug dealer. He is not going to look after you.”
Pablo Javik is the mayor of Rosario, Argentina's third-largest city. It's also the birthplace of Lionel Messi. He still owns a home in the city where he celebrated Argentina's World Cup last November.
A preliminary investigation is underway
Prosecutor Federico Rébola said that authorities are reviewing the security camera footage as part of the preliminary investigation.
No one was injured in the sudden attack. However, bullets damaged the store's shutters and front door.
Messi, who's coming off his FIFA best male player award in Paris, has not commented on the incident, nor has his wife.
The event marks the first time that anyone has threatened Messi's in-laws, or him for that matter.
Celia Arena, the Justice Minister for the Santa Fe province, described the assault as an act of “terrorism” by a “mafia” organization seeking to intimidate the general public.
“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,” she Tweeted.
35-year-old Lionel Messi continues his striking form this season for club side PSG. He's notched 17 goals and set up 16 in all 28 competitions during the 22/23 campaign.
His stellar performances put him on track for a record-setting eighth Ballon D'or.
Photo: Twitter/Newells_en
