'We are coming for you': Gunmen threaten Lionel Messi after attack on his in-laws' supermarket
Lionel Messi with his wife and kids after winning his maiden World Cup title in Qatar.
A threatening hand-written message was left for football star Lionel Messi after two people shot at a supermarket belonging to the family of Antonela Roccuzzo, wife of the the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, in Argentina's Rosario on Thursday (March 2).
"Messi, we are waiting for you, (Pablo) Javkin (the mayor) is also a narco, he is not going to take care of you," the note read.
Pablo Javkin is the mayor of Messi's hometown, Rosario where the supermarket is located, some 320 kilometers northwest of capital Buenos Aires.
The men left this note after hitting the metallic facade of the supermarket with 14 bullets.
Why? The intentions of the attackers are still unclear. Mayor Javkin said that the aim of the attack was to create chaos in the city. Messi often visits Rosario and the place where the attack took place is also said to be a criminal hub where incidents like these frequently occur.
Police starts investigation: In Rosario, prosecutor Federico Rebola said that the authorities were reviewing the security footage and the investigation was preliminary. He also said that this was the first time Messi's family has received any sort of threat.
Celia Arena, Justice Minister for Santa Fe Province where Rosario is located said that the attack amounted to terrorism by a mafia group meant to intimidate the broader population.
Mayor Javkin went a step ahead and threw his suspicion on the complicity of the federal security officials and criminal gangs. " I doubt everyone, even those who are supposed to protect us," Javkin said in an interview with the local radio station, The Guardian reported.
He said the supermarket where the attack took place has been a centre of criminal activity, a concern which he had raised with the officials but no action was taken.
"It's clear that those who have the weapons and have the possibility of investigating criminals aren't doing it, and it's very easy for any gang to carry out something like this."
The PSG star has not spoken on the incident.