The city of Rosario, northwest of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is currently engulfed in a security crisis that has hit close to Lionel Messi.
Early Thursday morning, two armed men shot up a supermarket owned by Messi’s in-laws. The grocery store is run by the parents of his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, which reportedly (h/t El Pais) had 14 shots fired into the establishment.
Additionally, the shooters left a message for Messi to see: “Messi, we are waiting for you,” the note said. “[The mayor, Pablo] Javkin is a drug dealer; he will not keep you safe.”
Poné #TelefeNoticias AHORA | Se metieron con Messi@guillepanizza tuvo acceso al video del ataque al supermercado de la familia Roccuzzo y describe los detalles de lo ocurrido.
Seguí el vivo en https://t.co/akQDfBznFk pic.twitter.com/C8wYRHMUlI
— Telefe Noticias (@telefenoticias) March 2, 2023
The Roccuzzo family has run a chain of supermarkets in Rosario, Messi’s hometown, since the 1980s. Jorge Roccuzzo, Messi’s father-in-law, now owns the chain.
Furthermore, the grocery store is particularly popular because many locals understand that the Roccuzzos still work there some days.
While there’s no exact reason why the issue occurred, naming the city’s mayor does allow many to speculate that the motive for the shooting could be politically motivated. This is an election year in Argentina, and political tension is very high.
