Ambush Attack Becomes Double Homicide in Argentina After Second Victim Dies

An ambush in Florencio Varela, Argentina, has escalated into a double homicide following the death of a second victim from injuries sustained during a drive-by shooting. The attack, which occurred on Thursday night, involved individuals firing an automatic weapon at a group of friends, turning a violent intimidation tactic into a fatal crime.

Ariel Macchi, 28, died at the scene after being shot multiple times. Franco Herrera, 23, who was also critically injured, succumbed to his wounds in the hospital on Saturday. A third friend, who was with them, remains in serious condition in intensive care. Authorities confirmed that neither Macchi nor Herrera had any connection to drug dealing.

According to neighbors, the targeted shooting was orchestrated by a local drug gang known as "Los Paisa." The gang reportedly uses such violence to instill fear in the community and maintain control over drug sales territory. Residents identified the vehicle used in the attack as a gray Volkswagen Suran, frequently seen in the area and associated with the gang's activities.

The attackers allegedly fired multiple bursts from an FMK 3 submachine gun at the three friends, who were standing outside a home waiting for tools for a construction job. Security camera footage captured the vehicle's passage and the sound of the gunfire. The motive, as understood by locals, is to pressure residents into expelling rival drug sellers, thereby avoiding direct confrontation with competitors while still projecting power through violence against innocent bystanders.

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They shot them to instill fear among the other inhabitants of the neighborhood.