• A shooting at a nightclub in Ecuador kills eight, injuring three others.
• The incident occurred in Santa Lucía, a region under a state of emergency.
• Authorities attribute the violence to turf wars among organized crime groups.
• Notably, the nightclub owner was among the deceased.
• Over 4,600 homicides have been reported in Ecuador this year alone.

A shooting at a nightclub in Santa Lucía, Ecuador, resulted in the deaths of eight individuals and injured three others. The attack occurred early on Sunday, with police reporting that the victims, aged between 20 and 40, included seven who died on-site and an eighth who succumbed later at a hospital. Heavily armed assailants launched the ambush using two pickup trucks, with police discovering over 800 cartridge cases at the scene, according to CBS News, India Times, and TRT.

The identity of the nightclub owner, Jorge Urquizo, a brother to Santa Lucía's mayor, underscored the personal tragedy of the violence. This incident follows another brutal attack just two days prior when gunmen targeted a boat in El Oro, killing four and leaving several missing. Authorities attribute the surge in violence to turf wars among organized crime groups linked to transnational drug cartels operating in the region, as confirmed by India Times, CBS News, and BBC.

Despite efforts to combat this rising violence, with a state of emergency declared in several coastal provinces, Ecuador has seen a staggering 4,600 homicides this year alone. Official figures revealed that nearly 7,000 killings occurred last year, down from a record high of over 8,000 in 2023, as reported by TRT and BBC.