Gunmen left a threatening note directed towards Lionel Messi after opening fire on a Unico supermarket owned by his in-laws in Argentina, according to the Associated Press. The incident occurred early Thursday morning and did not result in any injuries.
According to authorities, two men on a motorcycle fired at least a dozen shots into the Rosario Unico that is owned by the family of Messi's wife, Antonella Roccuzzo. They then left a note on cardboard that read "Messi, we're waiting for you. [Pablo Javkin, the mayor of Rosario] is also a drug trafficker, so he won't take care of you."
Prosecutor Federico Rébola said that authorities are reviewing security camera footage as part of a preliminary investigation, noting that this is the first time Messi's family has been threatened in such a manner. The incident comes as Javkin, a politician in opposition to the ruling Peronist coalition, has demanded that federal security forces crack down on drug traffickers and criminal gang activity in Rosario.
"Where are the ones who need to take care of us?" Javkin said. "It's clear that those who have the weapons and have the possibility of investigating the criminals aren't doing it, and it's very easy for any gang to carry out something like this."
In response to the incident, federal government Security Minister Aníbal Fernández claimed that the attack on the Unico was typical of the drug-related violence that has plagued the city of Rosario for the last 20 years. Opposition politicians have blamed president Alberto Fernández for the continuing violence in the city.
Messi, who won the 2022 World Cup for Argentina, has a home in Rosario in the suburb of Funes. As of Thursday afternoon, Messi has yet to comment on the incident.
