Soccer star Ivan Torres’ wife shot dead at concert in Paraguay
Paraguayan pro soccer player Ivan Torres is mourning the tragic death of his wife, Cristina Vita Aranda, after she suffered a gunshot wound to the head at a concert on Sunday.
According to The Sun, which cited local reports, the couple was in a VIP area at the Jose Asuncion Flores Ampitheatre in the Paraguayan capital Asuncion, when gunfire broke out. Torres reportedly was uninjured, but suffered a panic attack.
Itaugua Nacional Hospital director Yolanda Gonzalez confirmed the 29-year-old Aranda’s death in a statement.
“She was intubated when she arrived and attempts were made to resuscitate her for at least 25 minutes after she went into cardiac arrest. She died after the lengthy attempts to save her life,” Gonzalez said, via The Sun.
Police chief Benicio Ramirez said Aranda — an Instagram influencer and fitness trainer with nearly 600,000 followers — was a “collateral victim” in the incident.
According to The Sun, Ramírez told a local radio station, “The initial police theory is that she was a collateral victim. She was shot in the head and didn’t survive.”
Per a BBC report, Ramírez told reporters that authorities presume Aranda was not the “target,” saying, “The lady was [nearby] waiting for her husband.”
The shooting is still under investigation by authorities. Four others between the ages of 23 and 40 were reportedly shot and treated for injuries at a local hospital.
Torres and Aranda share three small children together. She announced in a post on Instagram last December that she and the soccer star were divorcing after 10 years of marriage.
Though, the couple was believed to have been working to repair their relationship when Aranda died.
On Tuesday, Torres took to Instagram to share a video tribute to his late wife, showing footage from what appeared to be taken on their wedding day.
“This is how I will remember you my love, with that beautiful smile and that big heart. I promise that I will miss you very much, nothing will be the same without you, just to thank you for these 11 years by my side, for teaching me to recognize my mistakes, to forgive, to believe, to be better, to love unconditionally, that Despite the difficulties we had to be prepared for the next opportunity, you told me that you wanted to reach the heart of each woman and impact them,” Torres wrote.
“I know that God granted it to you and will continue to do so, and THANK YOU for those three children you gave me, I will honor your name by giving my best so that they look like you. LOVE YOU.”
In a prior Instagram post, shared on Monday night, Torres penned a message for Aranda’s followers.
“One of Cristina’s priorities was to be close to her followers. Those who want to say their last goodbye can go to Parque Serenidad on Avda. Mariscal Lopez from 4:00 p.m. Out of respect at this delicate moment, the entrance to the wake room will be exclusively for family and friends,” he shared.
Torres continued to post details about the memorial to his Instagram story.
Torres is a top midfielder for Paraguayan Primera División side Olimpia. The club reportedly cancelled its training session on Monday morning after news of Aranda’s death.
The Sun reported that another players’ wife was also injured and in stable condition after suffering a gunshot wound to the leg.
Torres began his career with Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno, before signing with their rival Club Olimpia in December 2014.