QUITO, PICHINCHA, ECUADOR – SEPTEMBER 16, 2026 Máximo José Hassell Díaz, a Venezuelan worker at San Roque Market, was shot and killed in the historic center of Quito. The attack occurred at around 3:30 a.m. near Cumandá, Loja, and Ambato streets.
A security camera captured Díaz running away from an armed man and attempting to hide with a worker at a nearby business. The attacker caught up with him, shot him several times, and then, according to the footage, shot him again while he was lying on the ground. Police recorded three gunshot wounds to the head at the scene and collected several ballistic traces.
The attacker fled the scene and his identity remains unknown. Police are reviewing surveillance footage and other evidence that could help clarify how the attack occurred. The motive for the killing and any possible relationship between the victim and the attacker have not yet been officially disclosed.
