Two Boca Juniors fans were killed yesterday in a shootout between rival factions of hooligan gangs that support the famous Buenos Aires club. The clash took place outside the stadium of San Lorenzo.
Two men were killed and six injured when rival gangs of Boca Juniors barra brava (hooligan) fans clashed before a friendly game against San Lorenzo yesterday.
The game, a warm-up at San Lorenzo’s Nuevo Gasómetro ground in Bajo Flores neighbourhood for the new league season starting next month, was suspended and rescheduled for next Wednesday, probably without public.
Two hooligans were shot dead and four out of the six wounded also received shot injuries. One of them remained late yesterday in critical conditions at the Argerich Hospital.
More than 100 cartridge shells were found nearby San Lorenzo stadium as well as some sharp pieces of iron usually used in building construction.
A sole man was under arrest yesterday as he was found by the police in the clash place holding a calibre 45 gun.
More than three hours before the match against San Lorenzo, Marcelo Carnevale, 33, was shot dead in the chest, in Lafuente avenue and Ana María Janer in Villa Soldati, four blocks away from the stadium while Angel Martín Díaz, 44, was taken to the Santojanni Hospital in Liniers already dead.
The policemen and Border guards were not able to prevent the clash even though there were several warnings about it.
Journalist Enrique Gastañaga made a report titled “Temor por un posible choque entre los grupos de La Doce” (Fear of a possible clash between La Doce’s groups) in newspaper Clarín yesterday’s edition, in which he announced the possibility of the bloody clash between Boca rival gangs competing for the leadership of the hooligan illegal organization.
“It was known that the dissident group would be waiting for the official hooligan organization leaders. There was a previous minor incident in La Plata between both groups,” said Gastañaga to TN Channel.
The journalist had remarked in his report that both groups had clashed eight days ago before the friendly against Estudiantes in La Plata. On that occasion, the official gang violently prevented the dissident gang from buying tickets for the match.
Yesterday, it was different. Boca officials said that they had 5,500 tickets for the match and sold 2,869 among its members and returned the remaining tickets to San Lorenzo, which were sold openly by San Lorenzo without checking if the buyers were banned from entering a soccer stadium.
Apart from the main clash, there were also small clashes with the wounded taken to different hospitals in cars by other hooligans like Díaz to the Santojanni and another hooligan with gunshot wounds to in his knee. Indeed, they were left in the hospital entrance with the other hooligans later running away in order to avoid a contact with the police.
A 34-year-old man, who received a shot in his abdomen and forearm, underwent surgery and remains in critical situation.
A policeman and another fan were taken to the Piñeiro Hospital with minor injuries and later released.
A fan of Lanús was killed in June during a brawl with fans of rival club Estudiantes outside their stadium. The death was caused when the fan was reportedly struck by rubber bullets fired by police.
The Lanús club issued a statement calling the action “police brutality.”
Herald staff with agencies
Source: Buenos Aires Herald