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Lionel Messi was practicing with Paris Saint-Germaine F.C. teammates on Thursday when a grocery store owned by the Argentinian star's in-laws was shot up by two men, according to TMZ Sports.
The men fired at least a dozen shots into the shop in Argentina, before sending a threat to the 35-year-old himself: “Messi, we're waiting for you,” per TMZ.
“The Unico supermarket is located in Rosario, Argentina — about 200 miles from the capital, Buenos Aires — and is owned by the mom and dad of Lionel's wife, Antonela Roccuzzo,” the outlet wrote.
“A normal day of shopping for groceries was interrupted Thursday when two assailants pulled up in front of the store on a motorcycle in broad daylight, with one of the men jumping off the bike, and opening fire, according to witnesses. Miraculously, no one was injured, though property was damaged, including a shattered front window pane.”
The written note dropped by the anonymous assailants read in full: “Messi, we’re waiting for you. Javkin is also a drug trafficker, so he won’t take care of you.”
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This refers to Rosario Mayor Pablo Javkin. Javkin went to the scene and criticized Argentina's national police for failing to crack down on drug-related crimes in the city.
Police believe that the message was more likely an attempt to attract attention as opposed to a threat, although that's a bold claim considering someone could have been seriously injured or killed.
“Narco violence plaguing [Rosario] has reached ‘critical' levels,” the Buenos Aires Times wrote last year, per TMZ Sports.
It's a sobering and horrifying moment in what should be one of the best years of Lionel Messi's life.
