Panama star Gilberto Hernandez shot dead by gunmen as dad issues plea
The father of Gilberto Hernandez has publicly appealed for the people who shot his son dead to hand themselves in to police.
Panama defender Hernandez, 26, was killed in the city of Colon on Sunday afternoon, after gunmen attacked a group of people in a building. The footballer was the only person killed, but seven other people were reportedly injured in the incident.
Hernandez made two appearances for Panama at Under 22 level before making his senior bow in March. He played in matches against Guetamala and Argentina.
According to a report on the BBC, two gunmen threatened a taxi driver and ordered him to drive them to the scene, where they then opened fire. The culprits duly fled the scene, but one suspect has since been found and arrested.
The area has seen a harrowing rise in murders in recent month, with two rival gangs said to be fighting over drug smuggling disputes. In 2023 alone, 50 people have been killed in Colon, which has a population of around 40,000 people.
And now the player's father called on authorities to try and tackle the issue of gun crime, saying: "Launch projects to save the youth from this violence."
Urging the killers to hand themselves in, he added: "Don't cause more harm." C.A Independiente meanwhile, who Hernandez was playing for, paid tribute on social media.
Having helped the side win the 2022 Clausura and 2023 Apertura competitions, they posted a picture of the player lifting a trophy. It included the caption: "Fly high two-time champion." Panama's football federation also expressed their condolences.
His professional career began in 2018 with Arabe Unido, before moving to Herrera in 2022 where he only played 13 games before switching to Independiente. He played his last match for the club on August 23, a 3–1 victory against Real Esteli.
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