An athlete was reportedly gunned down outside a south Winnipeg soccer field after a tournament Saturday evening in what event organizers believe was a targeted shooting.
The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was playing in the final games of the Canada African Cup of Nations 2024 soccer tournament at the Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex on Waverley Street, said organization president Gode Katembo.
“After the match everybody was going home. It had nothing to do with the outcome of the game or the soccer match, but it was just a player, an individual, that was targeted… out of a personal conflict,” Katembo said by phone.
“It’s devastating. All we know is that the victim was one of our players, but we don’t know the person who caused this harm. The police are still investigating and I think they will be releasing more information tomorrow.”
A statement released by the organization said the local player suffered serious injuries to his upper body. Police and paramedics arrived on scene quickly, but the organization was informed Sunday that the victim had died.
“The Winnipeg Police Service has launched an investigation into this senseless act of violence that occurred in the parking lot. While this tragedy is unrelated to the soccer games, we urge anyone with relevant information to come forward and assist the police in their efforts to bring those involved to justice,” the statement said.
Winnipeg police were unable to confirm details of the shooting Sunday.
The Cup of Nations statement included a list of phone numbers for counselling resources for athletes and bystanders who witnessed the shooting.
It intends to provide further updates to the public as they are available and urged its members to “remain calm and steadfast as the WPS conduct their investigation,” it said.
“We are focused on ensuring the safety of our community. This is a very psychological and mental thing that is affecting many of us, so we are trusting and relying on the Winnipeg police to do their best,” Katembo said.
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press‘s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
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